Amherst County PS

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.