Amherst County PS

On this episode of the Every Child Every Day Podcast, Superintendent Dr. Rob Arnold sits down with Assistant Superintendent Dr. William Wells to answer some frequently asked questions as they relate to COVID-19, quarantining and virtual learning. Listen to hear information about our free testing and vaccination clinic on Tuesday, August 31, 2021.

On this episode of the Every Child Every Day Podcast Dr. Arnold sits down with the Amherst County High School Theatre Department to discuss their upcoming Spring Play, The Lion King Jr.  Listen to the main characters to discuss how they have had to adjust to the Covid restrictions for the year and for this production specifically. Stick around until the end for a sneak peak you won’t want to miss.

On this episode of the Every Child Everyday Podcast Dr. Arnold talks with ACPS’ 2021 Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Ruth Matheny, Reading Specialist from Elon Elementary discusses her experiences and her goals as an educator.

During this past year many parts of our lives were impacted in a way we have never experienced.  So many facets of our  lives moved from in-person to virtual.  Technologies such as Google Meet and Zoom became household words and a major mode of communication. In this episode of the Every Child Every Day Podcast, Dr. Rob Arnold and Mr. Gary Wood discuss in depth Central Virginia Electric Cooperative’s  (CVEC) plan to expand and provide high speed reliable internet access to Amherst County families.

2021-2022 School Year:  What to Expect

On Thursday April 15th, Dr. Arnold presented recommendations for the upcoming 2021-2022 School Year. In Episode 4 of the Every Child Every Day Podcast, Dr. Arnold discusses those recommendations as well as a timeline for next steps.

On this episode of the Every Child Every Day Podcast, Dr. Rob Arnold sits with Director of Student Services, Mr. Josh Neighbors to discuss 2021 Summer Programming. They tackle topics like learning loss and ACPS’ unique plan to help students fill in those gaps in learning. Listen to hear more about the 2021 Summer Program structure, schedule and how to request your students’ participation.

In March, the school system’s budget was approved. This is a long process that involves many stakeholders in the community. We believe that the more our community understands about the functioning of our schools, the stronger we will become. In Season 3 Episode 2 of Every Child Every Day we continue to keep our community informed by discussing ACPS Budget and it’s process.  Join Dr. Arnold and his special guest Mrs. Teresa Crouch, Chief Financial Officer as they talk Budget 101.

Almost a year ago to the date, the world changed in a way no one could have imagined.  What began as an initial goal to vaccinate the ACPS staff, then manifested into a major collaborative effort with Amherst County Public Safety and the Virginia Department of Health to best serve the needs of our community. Join Dr. Rob Arnold as he talks with  Dr. William Wells to share information on all things COVID-19 vaccines. Listen for information on how to get scheduled for a vaccination at the Amherst County Vaccination clinic and how to volunteer.

Over the last three weeks, we have discussed how these unprecedented times impact our emotional health, we discussed the safety precautions needed during this time, and we gave advice on physical fitness routines.  Today, we are going to talk to two ACPS teachers, Bev Brown and Lisa Laub about sharpening your student’s problem solving skills through at-home science projects.  Please join us!

During the time that we are under the Governor’s Stay at Home order, I thought it would be important to provide some very specific advice to students and parents regarding different aspects of the coronavirus.  On our last two shows, we discussed how these unprecedented times impact our emotional health and the safety precautions needed during this time.  Today, we are going to talk with two ACPS teachers, Erin Calhoun and Kevin Christmas about staying active and physically fit during the pandemic.  Please join us!

Please join us today as we sit down with the Central Virginia Department of Health, District Epidemiologist, Haley Evans to discuss specifics about the COVID-19 virus along with very important safety precautions to be taken to keep your family safe.  She also spends time dispelling some popular "internet" myths about the virus.

Join us today for a very important conversation during these uncertain times.  Amherst County School Psychologists, Martha Anderson, Shannon Abatecola, and Jeff Williams will discuss advice for parents and students on how to handle the emotions created by this pandemic.

Today, we begin our three-part series on the spring sports programs at Amherst County High School. On today's show, we sit down with Baseball Coach, John Apperson and Senior Pitcher, Tyler Hargis,  and Outdoor Track Coach, Lance Carter, and State Champion Athlete, Amani Hankton to discuss the upcoming season. Part one in a three part series. 

Here in Amherst County Public Schools, we think it is very important to look for opportunities for our students to engage in extra-curricular activities to help build a sense of community and to teach many important life skills.  One of these extra-curricular programs is Archery.   On today’s show, we will sit down with members of our Elon Elementary Archery Team.  Please join us!

On today's show, we will sit down with a great community partner: the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce to discuss the role that the Chamber of Commerce plays in our mission of preparing students and the opportunities they are creating for our students.  Joining us for the conversation is Katie Mayo, Business Development Manager for the Chamber of Commerce, Sabrina Kennon, Business Operations Manager at Specialty Exterminating and Chair of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, and Craig Maddox, Supervisor of CTE for ACPS. Please join us for this very important conversation.

Today, we continue our two-part series on the winter sports programs at Amherst County High School.  On today's show, we sit down with Indoor Track Coach, Lance Carter, Swimming Coach, Amanda Stanbery and Wrestling Coach, Jason Cox to discuss the season to date and their goals as the teams begin post-season tournament play.

Over the next two weeks, we will sit down with the coaches of the winter sports programs at Amherst County High School.  On today's show, Girl's Basketball Coach, Ron Carter and Boys' Basketball Coach, Segar Jordan join us to discuss the season to date and their goals as the teams begin post-season tournament play.

We are honored to have WSET Sports Director, Dennis Carter as our guest today.  We discuss his career and the state of high school athletics in Central Virginia.  As Dennis has just recently announced his retirement at year’s end, we thought it would be a great opportunity to reminisce and thank him for his service to this area.  Please join us.

As we approach the winter months and the possibility of delayed starts and snow days, we wanted to do a podcast on our inclement weather policies. Covering over 400 square miles of land and 500 miles of road, Amherst County Public Schools includes a very diverse topography including the Blue Ridge Mountain in our western half.  Because of these differences, Amherst County Public Schools has a very different and complicated task when it comes to deciding school closures and delays.  Join me today as Dr. William Wells Assistant Superintendent of Schools comes on to talk about what goes into making these difficult decisions.

Each fall, a new group of student leaders begin the year with big goals for the school.  At Amherst County High School, the Class of 2020 leadership team is hoping to positively impact the culture at the high school through activities aimed at promoting a sense of community and pride.  Join me as I sit down with the Class of 2020 officers : Zamire Andrews, President, Leeland Mowery, Vice-President, Kennedy Campbell, Secretary as they discuss their plans for this school year.

On today’s show we are going to talk about Iron Lives, a student program started in Amherst County High School 10 years ago and has grown into neighboring divisions in recent years.  Unfortunately, Amherst County High School’s program has seen membership and participation decline in recent years.  That trend, however, has reversed this fall and membership in the program is on the rise again.  Join me as we discuss Iron Lives with the people helping to lead this effort: Marcus Thomas, Director of Programs, Sabrina Marth, Director of Operations, and Devante Sorrells, student participant in Iron Lives at ACHS

On today's Podcast, we will move our attention to building a foundation for math.  Joining us for the conversation is Wanda Smith, Supervisor of Math, Science, and Gifted Education in Amherst County and Jill Guill, the Amherst County Division Math Specialist.  Our two guests will discuss the importance of using numbers and foundational math concepts in the home and why it is so important to understand numbers before trying to learn math skills.  Please join us for this very important conversation.

Literacy in the early years is absolutely crucial to success throughout a student’s school career.  Unfortunately, the process can be complicated and often times overwhelming, especially when you are trying to support your students at home.  On today's podcast we will talk to two people who have spent their entire careers helping students “learn to read” and they will provide some advice that will help you support your child as they go through this process.  Please join us!

Today, we will conclude our three part series on college admissions with a visit from two Amherst County High School Counselors, Ms Mary Kay McCrea and Ms. Lesley Clark.  On our show, we will discuss what students still in high school can do to make themselves more attractive candidates to colleges as well as how they can make decisions that will better prepare them for the challenges of college once they arrive.

On last week's podcast, we sat down with admissions directors from the University of Lynchburg to discuss some of the challenges that students and families face as they begin the college application process.  One of the challenges that we touched upon was the SAT.  Often, students and parents have very little information about SATs and more importantly have little understanding of how to prepare.  Today we will try to take away a little of this uncertainty by talking to an expert in the SAT preparation field, Mr. Jason Jamerson of Oakes Test Prep.  Please join us.

Each fall, many high school students and their parents begin asking questions about college.  Which one to attend? How to apply? How to access financial assistance?  Where to start?  Join us as we take a look at these questions and many more dealing with the college application process.  Today, we are joined by Rita Detwiler and Sharon Walters-Bower from the University of Lynchburg's Admissions Department for this very important conversation.

On today's show, we sit down with the head coaches of four of our fall high school athletic programs.  We will explore topics such as goals for the season, coaching styles, and parental involvement.  This podcast will be a two part series.  In Part 2, we interview Volleyball Head Coach, Jennifer Fielder and Cheerleading Head Coach, Jasmine Glaize.

On today's show, we sit down with the head coaches of four of our fall high school athletic programs.  We will explore topics such as goals for the season, coaching styles, and parental involvement.  This podcast will be a two part series.  In Part I, we interview Cross Country Head Coach, Sarah Lockhart and Golf Coach, Robert Martin.

On today's episode Dr. Arnold sits down with Bob Christmas, the new Football Coach at Amherst County High School.  Coach Christmas talks about why Amherst County was such an appealing coaching destination.  He also discusses his goals for this season as well as his goals for years to come.  Please join us as we get ready for Football Season!

The new school year is fast approaching and it is extremely important for our parents and students to start preparing for their return.  Amherst County School Counselors, Lauren Kershner and Kristin Maddox discuss with Dr. Arnold some helpful advice to students and parents preparing for the beginning of a new school year.  You will hear advice ranging from setting expectations and schedules to using positive language about the goals for the year.  Please join us for this informative podcast.

Today the interviewer becomes the interviewee.  Join Mike Cargill as he takes over the microphone to interview Dr. Rob Arnold.  They discuss Dr. Arnold's experiences during his first year as Superintendent of Amherst County Public Schools.  They reflect on the highlights, successes, challenges, and surprises during his first year on the job.  They also discuss goals and objectives for the coming school year and beyond.  Please join us as we put a cap on an amazing year in Amherst County Public Schools. 

On May 24th, over 260 students will graduate from Amherst County High School.  To honor their accomplishments, the Every Child, Every Day Podcast will talk to eight extraordinary graduates.  They will discuss future plans as well as the people and moments that shaped their Amherst County Public Schools experience.  This “Senior Series” will be a two-part podcast.  In Part I, Dr. Arnold interviews Anthony Powell, Charmila Meesala, Shaun McBride, and Chris Thomason.  In Part 2, he sits down with Indeya Paige, Devante Hudson-Sandidge, Jacob Dalton, and Trevor Crews. 

May is testing month!  If you are a student or a parent of a student who experiences greater stress than normal when you take these standardized, high stakes tests, you might be experiencing test anxiety.  Dr. Arnold interviews Josh Neighbors and Stephanie Moehlenkamp to determine ways to alleviate the impacts of this type of anxiety.

Amherst County High School is sponsoring a 2nd annual community service opportunity for our students on April 12, 2019. We are calling this event “A Day of Giving” in which the school and our students can give back to the community. Students will be given the opportunity to volunteer at various community organizations, Amherst County Parks and Recreation sites, the county elementary schools, and at the high school. Students will be chaperoned by ACPS faculty and staff. Transportation to and from the service locations will be provided by the ACPS transportation department. The school will follow normal arrival and departure times. Students will be transported to their service sites between 9:00 and 9:30 AM and will return to the high school between 2:00 and 2:30 PM.