To start off, let us meditate on the famed Mr. Thomas Mutschler. Many freshmen bravely set foot in his classroom for Honors Geometry and soon realize his peculiar obsession with cows. While having a love for this gentle farm animal is odd enough, Mr. Mutschler takes it up a notch; the stuffed cow doll in the classroom supposedly brings good luck.

David Zhang, a senior who attended Mutschler’s geometry class as a freshman, reminisces, “If you get a 100 [on a test], you get to touch it and it gives you good luck for the rest of the day.” However, “if you touch it [without getting] a 100, it’s bad luck.” This teacher, who not only gets his subject across, also shows a quirky, very amusing side of his personality and certainly brightens the day for all of his students.

Next, we observe a very wise man named David Green, the teacher of AP European History. As a Euro student myself, I can attest to the fact that Mr. Green makes history fascinating with his animated tone and most of all, his bizarre and wonderful cheese portal. Those who have taken his class know all about this phenomenon of European History.
On a random day in Euro he may be lecturing on World War I and suddenly say, “Now, there is simply no way that we can speak about this time period without talking about a famous cheese which arose from it.” He then walks over to his desk and peaks underneath. His face brightens into the most priceless expression imaginable – perhaps a cross between the smiles of SpongeBob SquarePants and Mickey Mouse – as he says, “It looks like someone has left us something in the cheese portal.” He then pulls out an elegant but simple silver plate with cheese and crackers and passes it around the classroom, reminding us that a thorough knowledge of cheese will help us out tremendously in the college dating scene. Mr. Green does his job well, and his quirky love of cheese makes Euro even more intriguing, especially on an otherwise monotonous day.

Continuing the theme of quirky history teachers, we meet Mrs. Maddox, a woman who is very passionate about American history but is even more passionate about inspiring a sense of integrity in her students. In my four years of high school, she is the only teacher who has said before every test, “You’re taking two tests today: one in history and one in integrity. If you’re gonna fail one of them, make sure you fail the one in history.” Some may laugh at this gesture. But Ms. Maddox’s tradition shows that she seeks not just to craft her students as ones of history, but also as ones of virtue and integrity. For this, Ms. Maddox is truly to be a commended teacher.

Mr. Crick, simply put, is a secret agent. This is a fact, and I apologize to him for revealing it in such a venue as The Spectrum. His cover was blown at AB years ago and stories of his true covert identity have been handed down class to class. There are many aspects of his personality which make him seem like he must be a secret agent of some sort. He is a somewhat stern man who commands great respect. He is quiet and seems to understand absolutely everything. The details of Mr. Crick’s life are certainly up for debate, but I would like to take a stab, reminding the reader not to take what I say to be fact, but simply speculation.

Personally, I believe that Mr. Crick was born in 1928 to a relatively affluent family with a history of secret agents. He allied with the French underground movement to defeat the Axis Powers during World War II and operated as a member of the CIA to take down communist governments. Furthermore, he attempted to infiltrate MI6 several times during the 1970s to obtain top-secret weapons plans of the British government. Unfortunately, he was caught during his last attempt, and, his identity being compromised, he settled down to a life as an English teacher at AB. Once again, this is speculation, but I believe it is as good a guess as any.

Overall, we can see that the AB teachers are absolutely anything but normal. They do an excellent job getting across their subjects. Many would credit this to their own educations, but it is the quirky nature of our staff that makes them so effective, and indeed very special and memorable.

Phillip Oxnard, a sophomore, went on a mission trip to Dorchester through Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. He says that the most rewarding part of giving blankets, food, water, clothes, and other necessities to the needy was “being able to meet and help people actually in need without putting any financial strain on them or the organizations that help them every day.”

Forest Trimble, a junior, says that the most rewarding aspect of volunteering at many weekend Habitat for Humanity projects in north-central Massachusetts was “seeing the progress of my work and helping families in dire need.”

A common misconception exists that people in need exist only outside the community of Acton-Boxborough. However, every community contains people to serve, no matter how affluent it may be. Dane Christiansen, a junior and regular volunteer at the Discovery Museum in Acton, says that he enjoyed “working with the kids and their parents. It’s really amazing to show them how the exhibits work.” Dane’s experience proves that volunteering does not have to be miserable labor, which is another common misconception. He adds, “It’s really easy work except for the thirty minutes when they clean and close the place at the end of the day.”

Another enjoyable way of serving the community is coaching a sport for which one already has a passion. Michael Souliotis, a junior, coaches golf at Quail Ridge when he has time. He says that “watching [players] get excited about a shot and enthusiastic about golf” is what makes volunteering most enjoyable to him. He regularly helps out at clinics during the spring and summer.

Students in Acton also do backbreaking labor to help others. Senior Alison Tseng spent many hours during her summers and weekends serving the recent immigrants, natural disaster victims, and refugees of Greater Middlesex at Household Goods Recycling of Massachusetts (HGRM). She carried boxes of goods, containing objects ranging from towels to silverware, mattresses, bed frames, and all other types of furniture. What is unique about HGRM is that it does not provide the necessities to people but the luxuries. Alison Tseng says that “watching people receive things that I used to take for granted like towels” is the most rewarding aspect of working there and what got her through the day of carrying heavy boxes and awkward furniture.

Many elderly people need services as well. Students at AB provide this much needed assistance. Catherine DeLanzo, a busy senior at AB, says that the most rewarding aspect of volunteering at Robbins Brook resident center for the elderly is that “I know that the residents appreciated me being there, and I have learned a lot from my experience volunteering.” When asked if she is glad she volunteered, she says, “Yes, I am glad that I did it. I love being able to make a difference in my community.” She called bingo and took the residents shopping, helping them find certain items that they desired. Catherine is not alone in this hobby of helping those get more out of life.

Junior Tudor Petcu volunteers weekly at Emerson Hospital. He says that the most rewarding part of his frequent volunteer work there is “taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves.”

Volunteering at a hospital is an excellent way to serve the community.

Anyone can volunteer. If someone with a busy schedule still wants to make a real difference by providing a needed service, they can join one of many programs including the occupational development program, peer mentoring, peer counseling, the school store, and AB ambassadors. Sarah Dolaty, a senior at AB and active peer counselor, says that what rewards her most about counseling is that “it feels good when [the students] are so excited to see you that they jump up and down in delight.”

Also, many clubs meet weekly or biweekly after school like Invisible Children, ABCO (Acton-Boxborough Community Outreach), Interact club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and the Animal Rights Group. Jillian Hammer, a very busy freshman, says that the most rewarding part of being a regular member of Invisible Children, an active group that vigorously fundraises to help reconstruction of high schools in Uganda, is “knowing that people who have suffered to the same degree as those during the holocaust, are given the opportunity to help their loved ones and beloved country through a solid education, partly due to the efforts of my club.”

Many Acton-Boxborough students make a real difference as a regular part of their everyday lives. Everyone benefits from those serving in the school store to people who serve benefit from sheer satisfaction. Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league baseball player, said, “Life is only important in its impact on other lives,” and AB students have truly taken the meaning of his words to heart.

AB started off the fall of 2009 by welcoming new librarian, Ms. Cileno. She has worked hard to get to know the students and teachers here and has done a great job enforcing rules in the library and making it a comfortable place where students can get work done. This year, the 10-minute rule during lunch periods has made a big difference. As a modification of the previous 5-minute rule, students may now arrive at the library 10 minutes after the bell rings during lunch periods. While many believe that this rule resulted from an overflow of students, it actually works to reduce the distraction students create. “Kids think it’s the numbers, but it’s the coming and going of students. Students usually settle in and get to work after a few minutes, but without the 10-minute rule, the coming and going of students can create a distraction,” Cileno says.

However, some students don’t agree with this rule. “I don’t like the 10-minute rule. I know the librarians tell us to study and then eat, but by the time I’m done studying, all my friends are done eating,” says senior Anmol Tahktani.

Still, many students are not aware of the rule that allows students in during lunch periods at all times. If someone does not have any frees except for lunch, and he or she needs to use the library, they are allowed in; all the proctor needs is the student’s schedule.

In addition, the library recently introduced a new sign-out sheet for students during lunch who need to leave the library in the middle of the period. Students are to sign out before they leave and sign back in. The sign-out sheet makes the proctor’s job a bit easier in terms of keeping track of who leaves.

At the beginning of the year, Ms. Cileno allowed students to use the empty conference rooms as a place for groups to study. However, because of a few cases of vandalism, a new rule now exists that will carry on into next year.

Groups who want to use the conference room need a pass from a teacher with the names of the students who will be using the room. If the pass is legitimate, the students may use the conference room.

Another altered rule regards the usage of cell phones. In the past, students were not allowed to text in the library because of a past incident involving cheating. However, Ms. Cileno did not think that the rule was fair because the only time students can text is outside of class. She also did not want to create a barrier between the librarians and the students. “I don’t want students to think that I’m here only to enforce rules,” says Cileno, “I want them to know that the librarians are here to help, and with a barrier between the students, that might not be possible.”

For these reasons, students are now allowed to text in the library, but are still not allowed to talk or play games on their phones.

The library has put lots of changes into place this year and will continue to implement them in the years to come. If students have any suggestions, a Student Library Advisory Board will welcome all input and any proposals regarding the library and its policies. Ms. Cileno says her first year at the high school has been “great,” and that “[she] couldn’t have found a better suited school.” She adds firmly, “The students and faculty are friendly and cooperative.”

Contrary to the atmosphere of love that surrounds this day today, the legend behind Valentine’s Day is filled more with slaughter and gore than with sappiness. The story started in Rome, 269 A.D., when Emperor Claudius sought to build his dream army to crush his enemies.

However, without a draft, no one wanted to volunteer for war, and the Emperor immediately assumed that it was because his men did not want to leave their wives. Of course, he did the most logical thing that came to mind: he outlawed marriage so that his male subjects, free from the occupation of their wives, would willingly sign up for war and adopt an instinct to kill. Of course the people did not follow this ridiculous new law, and rebelled as society.

Valentine, a young priest, rose to the scene, conducting marriage ceremonies in secret. Before long, he was caught by Claudius’s men and incarcerated. In jail, he fell in love with the prison guard’s daughter; it was this pair of sweethearts that gave a name to the holiday that would bear Valentine’s name two centuries later. On the day he was to be executed, he wrote a letter to his darling, thanking her for loving him in his last days, signed “Love from your Valentine.” And that was how the first Valentine happened to be.
Many AB students adore Valentine’s Day. For girls like Boyeon Chae who found her perfect guy just two weeks before the 14th, it will be extra special. As AB junior Henry Neale says, “Valentine’s Day is the day in the year where you can appreciate how lucky you are to have met that one special person.”

For those who have not found their special someone, the singles still love Valentine’s Day, partly because it marks the start of vacation, and also because it is simply an excuse to have fun, by oneself or with your friends.

Freshman Brooke Hatanaka states, “Valentine’s Day is a time for single women to sit around and appreciate their singleness… and watch love movies.” Sophomore Jenni Ruan supposes that “you really don’t need a guy for Valentine’s Day. I mean, you could have plenty of fun with your friends… and Valentine’s chocolate is yummy.” Even some guys are infatuated with Valentine’s Day. Tony Yu agrees with the sugar, and adds “there’s so much love in the air,” remarking that carnations and singing valentines are “kewl.”

Some use this day to their advantage; to Henry Neale, it is the “one day of the year where you’re allowed to kiss in public and not look weird.” Olivia Gutfreund sees it as “tacky, but cute” and adds that it is a “good way to make people get you stuff.” Friends play pranks on one another by writing anonymous love letters and secret admirers use the veil of a cute heart slip and a carnation to reveal their feelings, if not their identities.

Others share math jokes. This year, sophomore Martin Ma received a heart that read, “Will you be my cardioid?” For those of you who do not know, a cardioid is a math graph that looks like a heart. Free kisses, free stuff, and free math… there is everything to gain and not much to lose on Valentine’s Day.

Teenagers often find themselves hungry throughout the majority of the day, which is normal considering the amount of energy they invest in their activities. It may be hard to resist the temptation of grabbing a soda or a bag of chips while studying for a science test, but the snacks with simple carbohydrates are proven to slow you down in the long run. Instead of eating something sugary, try fruits like clementines and bananas when you are in need of a study break. Hummus with whole grain pita bread makes for a great late night study snack. These healthy alternatives, filled with essential nutrients, are sure to leave you more energized and awake for that late cram session.

Before even starting the school day, it is important to start the morning right by having something for breakfast. It may be hard to find time to eat something before running off to catch the bus, but a yogurt or whole-wheat toast with a glass of orange juice can provide the energy needed to make it through first period. Cereal is also a great breakfast food, as long as it is not too high in sugar and other carbohydrates. By eating something before heading off to school, you are more likely to stay full for a longer period of time and resist the urge to grab a bag of chips or cookies in between classes while waiting for a late lunch period to finally arrive.

While it is hard to resist cravings and temptations for sweets, try to limit your selections to one a day or a find a healthier alternative. For example, dark chocolate is actually proven to lower high blood pressure and is a rich antioxidant. For a tasty sweet, try strawberries with light whipped cream or a frozen yogurt.

It is important to remember that there are no “good foods” or “bad foods;” any kind of food is okay to eat as long as it is in moderation. Here are some great new snack ideas that can add energy, fill you up, and taste good:

• Apple slices, bananas or celery with peanut butter
• Salsa with whole-grain crackers.
• Cheese toast (whole grain bread with low-fat cheese).
• Cut-up vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing.
• Hummus on a whole-wheat pita.
• Oatmeal made with low-fat milk with strawberries.
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Popcorn
• Trail Mix
• Small bagel with low-fat cream cheese.
• String cheese and whole-grain crackers.
• Tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Turkey and low-fat cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato.

I made an open Facebook group to spread the idea. Surprisingly, about 150 seniors joined. The easy part was selecting a location and a date; this was done just by a vote. The next task was to get a count of how many students would go on the trip to determine the discount on lift tickets and rental for equipment. Around 35 kids confirmed that they could go. The planning would have been smoother if people responded to the Facebook group more and paid by the deadlines, although the hardest part was collecting money. Tracking kids down and making sure they paid by a certain deadline was difficult, but in the end, twenty-five seniors paid, and the trip seemed to be well on its way.

We met at the high school parking lot at 6:00 a.m. on January 2 to drive to Loon Mountain. I made the final decision not to rent a bus since many of the kids preferred to drive themselves. However, according to many weather stations, it was suppose to snow all day, which had created a lot of chaos the night before. Unfortunately, many students decided to back out. At 5:45 am, it looked like a difficult drive, but I decided to proceed with the trip. Luckily, many of the highways were clean and the drive was smooth. We got to Loon around 9:00 am and the weather was great. It was not snowing in New Hampshire, and the temperature was perfect. People broke off into groups of about three or four people according to differing skill levels. Some spent the day on the bunny hills while others preferred the terrain park. In the afternoon, it began to snow and the temperature dropped quickly. We left Loon around 5:30 p.m. and arrived at the senior parking lot around 8:00 p.m.

It seemed like everybody who went enjoyed the trip. Hopefully, similar senior class trips will happen in the future!

There are two prevailing and interlinked trends in technology that will drive innovation in 2010: the movement towards simplified, more portable technology and the growing power of cloud computing, or using someone else’s server for your own data. Cloud computing will drive innovation online, due to more and more data being stored online. It is no coincidence that the technology in the hands of consumers is getting simpler as more complex processes are moved onto the cloud.

For years, computer makers brought out their latest, fastest systems that claimed to be cutting edge. In 2009, we saw an interesting reversal in this trend. Instead of advertising the machines with the fastest processor and largest hard drive space, manufactures brought out small, cheap machines without a lot of power. Then, the netbook arrived. Smaller than laptops, yet more powerful than smartphones, they occupied a niché that was made possible by the proliferation of the Internet. With emphasis on portability and speed, netbooks became attractive as online web services began to replace applications that ran on an operating system.

Electronic book readers will finally break out in 2010. Although the Amazon Kindle and competing devices have been around for a few years, the final pieces are in place for the ebook boom. Falling prices of ebook readers, deals for more books to be available in an electronic format, and improvements in the technology will mold ebooks into a mature product. The Economist predicts that the number of ebook reader sales will increase fivefold in 2010 from the one million sold in 2009. The Kindle will be the most popular ebook reader, but other models such as the Barnes & Noble’s ”Nook” and a Sony product will also contribute. An example of how much the technology has gained acceptance can be found at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA, which plans to trade its entire library of traditional paper-and-ink books for ebooks. The school’s library plans to buy three large plasma televisions to display information from the internet, over 70 ebook readers, and laptop stations.

Windows 7 will prove to be one of the biggest new transitions for computer users. It garnered a warm reception as critics praised its improvements over Windows Vista. The emphasis for Microsoft was on creating incremental user interface improvements while keeping the underlying kernel, or central code, similar so that every computer that worked with Vista will work with Windows 7. Performance overall is also noted to be better than Vista. Visual changes, however, have made up the greatest improvement and adjustment. Windows are now shown in the taskbar as only an icon, and Aero Snap allows for users to automatically maximize a window when dragged to a side. Windows 7 became the most preordered item on Amazon.com, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Windows 7 is available in Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate versions.

Chrome OS is a free operating system created by Google. It is largely viewed as a challenge to Microsoft, as Chrome is now directly in competition with Windows. Chrome OS is unique because the only thing it can do is run Google Chrome, and it is deeply tied to Google’s services online. In fact, it starts up by asking for your Gmail account and password, then launches Chrome maximized, with no option to open anything else or minimize it. It then proceeds to automatically login and open up Gmail. It is aimed at netbooks users who want to have everything on the cloud, and do not need an operating system with tons of bells and whistles. With its speedy startup times and security, it is designed to run on low-powered hardware. It is currently available to be tested on certain netbook systems, but the aim is to release it in 2010 to most standard computer systems. It follows the twin trends of low powered computers and moving data to the cloud. The success of Chrome OS will track the progress of netbooks because the market penetration of netbooks essentially represents the market for Chrome OS.
Google Wave could be best described as email and instant messaging blended together to try to imitate real life conversations. Users can send messages to a large group, but the messages are sent in real time as people type so people can see what other people are typing. The messages, or blips, are organized in a wave, and wavelets branch off the main discussion. Users can also edit or delete posts wiki-style, even if they did not create them. Various “robots” allow for automated functions, such as translation of messages, an automatic link to Wikipedia for technical terms, or polling. Google Wave is currently available through invite only because it is in its beta stage, but many students already have accounts and extra invites. In 2010, Google will release Wave to the public.

Wireless electricity will be the dark horse technology of 2010. The premise of charging your MP3 player and cell phone without connecting them to a power outlet seems almost mystical. The most likely candidate for the technology to provide electricity without wires is inductive coupling, involving the coupling of two circiuts by means of the mutual inductance provided by a transformer. Although the basic principles of inductive coupling were described over one hundred years ago and demonstrated extensively by Nikola Tesla, interest in the technology was resparked in 2007 when MIT demonstrated their own version, called WiTricity. The effect was maximized by creating metallic coils that responded to magnetic fields with the same frequency. The resonance effect due to the same frequency dramatically increased the efficiency of the power transfer, to the extent that they could power televisions remotely. Consumer versions of the technology have also been released, including the Powermat, which allows for three to six portable devices to be simultaneously recharged without wires. Currently, however, the Powermat requires a small adapter that contains the metal coil to be attached as a case or a plug. If wireless technology is going to take off, its proponents must get a major portable device company to sign on to include the coils inside the actual device, so that the only option to recharge is to use wireless electricity. Otherwise, wireless electricity will not catch on with the public due to a lack of publicity and its high prices.

Enhanced by the commercialization of the aforementioned products, 2010 will provide technologies that will improve upon old ones and set the stage for even newer ones.

Mrs. Cileno studied journalism at UMass Amherst before working as a grade school library assistant. After working with a woman who embodied a stereotypically severe librarian, she decided to go back to school to “rid the world of mean librarians.”

Mrs. Cileno brings an abundance of energy and new ideas to AB. While changes have so far been minimal, she has many plans for improving the library both in its accessibility and the programs it offers. Since starting at AB, Mrs. Cileno has formed the Student Library Advisory Board to give kids a voice and allow them to make suggestions or offer input on happenings within the library. In addition to this new committee, she also lengthened the time allowed before entering the library during lunch periods from five to ten minutes. She emphasized that the “most important mission [she] has is to provide stressed kids with a space conducive to studying.” Lengthening the time to ten minutes allows students to eat a quick lunch or talk to a teacher and still make use of the library’s resources during free periods. In addition, there is a little-known rule that states that if a student’s only free period is their seventh period lunch, they may enter the library at any time during that period.

Some of Mrs. Cileno’s other ideas include her new monthly book club. Each month she selects a theme, and students are welcome to read books related to that topic and attend a discussion party (pizza included!). One idea that would take more planning is holding events in the library on the four days of each year before vacations. “Kids aren’t studying on that last day, and I would love to have student performances, a poetry slam, or even a Monopoly marathon,” she says. “Libraries do traditionally host cultural events, and I think we should mirror that within the school.”

In addition to fun activities and events, Mrs. Cileno is also eager to help students have all possible resources available to them. She is working on getting a smart board for the PC lab adjacent to the library, and hopes to scatter the computers around the library so their placement is more conducive to individual research and work. She also adds, “if I could take a field trip, I would take all the seniors to a college library at some point to work on a big research project.” When AB students move onto college, they will have access to their massive school libraries. It is important for college-bound seniors to have experience navigating such vast libraries filled with countless sources of information.

In regards to AB as a whole, Mrs. Cileno says that working with the students has been the most enjoyable. “I appreciate how hard everyone works. Even if they’re being too noisy, I know they’re almost always working hard.”

Ms. Mary Lee is new to the Visual Arts Department. She currently teaches classes on digital imagery, animation and web page design. Ms. Lee has been teaching for 12 years. She had previously taught in California, where she received her teaching degree before she taught Art for 9 years at Abington High School. Outside of school, Ms. Lee enjoys painting, mixed media/collage, photography, hiking, cooking, visiting art galleries and museums and mountain biking. She is also part of a co-op art gallery on Harrison Avenue in Boston. Ms. Lee believes that ABRHS is a very positive environment with students that are well behaved, polite and helpful. She feels that the teachers, staff and administrators are extremely supportive and act as amazing resources for students.

Ms. Lee Lentz has joined the science department. She teaches four sections of chemistry and previously taught science courses at Fisher College for a little over 3 years. Ms. Lentz loves to cook, spin bikes at the gym, hang out with her kids, and watch football games. So far, she is very impressed with AB, the organization of the school, and how friendly the atmosphere is. Many people are genuinely willing to help one succeed. Ms. Lentz thinks that the science department, as well as her mentor, Ms. Marsh, are incredible! She is very impressed with the behavior of the students at AB because she has seen a great deal of maturity and respect within the 2,000 students. She is thoroughly enjoying her time at AB with all of the planning, correcting, and teaching. According to Ms. Lentz, SCIENCE RULES!

Ms. Suzanne Hogarty is a new addition to the world language department. She has been teaching for over 10 years, working at Boston Latin School, Belmont Public Schools, and Milton Public Schools teaching Spanish, French and one-year of bilingual math. Outside of school, Ms. Hogarty likes to go for walks with her dog, Lola, see foreign films, and try new restaurants. She feels that AB is a faced paced environment but people are very helpful and supportive (including the students). Ms. Hogarty is delighted to be at AB and is looking forward to seeing some extra curricular activities – particularly against her old schools.

Ms. Kristin Penta teaches sophomore and senior English. She loves witnessing the differences in students at these two grade levels. This factor makes the courses both challenging and refreshing to teach in a number of ways and she is very happy teaching both levels. Ms. Penta has been in the education profession for six years, and is happy to say that she has met lots of different students from a wide range of places, including Somerville, Wellesley, Dedham, and now Acton and Boxborough. Before teaching, she was a project editor, helping to produce college textbooks at an editing company in Boston for a few years. In her free time, Ms. Penta loves to run, hike in the White Mountains of NH and to make her own jewelry. She loves anything having to do with the arts. She also loves to read her own books whenever she can- lately that has included many from the travel and adventure genre. She still adores fiction but finds herself gravitating towards the nonfiction section lately. Ms. Penta loves everything about AB; she feels lucky to work at a school with such a warm, supportive staff, phenomenal resources, and especially kind, motivated students who seem so appreciative about what AB has to offer. She loves her department and thinks her mentor, Ms. Mullin, is an angel. She loves teaching because students challenge her to see books from many different perspectives. While confident in her profession, some of her favorite moments are when a young adult causes her to say, “Wow, I hadn’t thought of it like that before.” There is something about each school day, so she is never ever bored. Ms. Penta loves to teach. She considers it to be the hardest job she has ever done, but the most rewarding and inspiring.

Ms. Laurie Burns currently teaches Ceramics I. She was previously a kindergarten- 6th grade art teacher at the Douglas School in Acton for 4 years. Ms. Burns enjoys pottery, yoga, taking walks and spending time with her family (including her 4 and 2 year old daughters) outside of school. She loves AB so far because the students are inspiring. Ms. Burns looks forward to coming to school each day.

Ms. Katilyn Crowley teaches freshmen and senior English. This is her first time working as a teacher, but while in graduate school she taught at a Seekonk High School in Seekonk, MA and at a classical high school in Providence, RI. She was a development editor for a publishing company in her pre-teaching life. Ms. Crowley loves to snowshoe, cross-country ski, cook, quilt and watch movies. She is really impressed with AB because people are friendly and work hard.

Ms. Susannah Sweeting teaches French. She just finished her Masters degree, during which she student-taught at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Before that, she taught English in France, and worked in sales and marketing. Ms. Sweeting loves to swim and do triathlons. She also really enjoys cooking. These days, she is very busy planning her wedding for this April. Ms. Sweeting really enjoys AB because the students seem to know how to have fun while working hard. Everyone is friendly and works together for each other’s benefit.

Mr. Thomas Kamataris teaches Fitness for Living, the freshman P.E. class. He has been teaching for 11 years; the first six years as a kindergarten- 6th grade P.E. teacher in Winchendon, MA and the past four years at Gates Elementary School in Acton. He enjoys going to sporting events (Patriots and Red Sox) and loves Dave Matthews Band. He also loves to spend time with his family (his wife and almost 2-year old daughter, Madison). Mr. Kamataris loves AB. He says that the kids, staff and parents are the best he has ever worked with.

Ms. Cathy Loebs had joined the nursing staff here at AB. She has previously worked at Conant Elementary School and RJ Grey Junior High School, both of which are in Acton.

Ms. Debbie Alesbury was previously the lead teacher of the Community Education Pre-School located here in the high school. She is back after two years to teach Child Development again (just the lecture courses this time).

After interviewing all the new members of AB’s faculty, we have come to realize how diverse the people of AB are. We are extremely thankful for the new people of the faculty and hope you have a great experience at ABRHS!

What most freshmen are worried about is having absolutely no clue what to expect. By now, most upperclassmen will have forgotten that there are a host of rumors floating around the junior high about the high school. For example:

“I heard that this one English teacher fails you if you leave out a punctuation mark on an essay!”

“Dude, have you heard about the science teacher who makes you write a ten page lab report every week? He won’t take it late either. He just gives you a zero.”

“Someone told me that in high school gym, you’ve gotta run a fitness mile and they time you. If you don’t do it in under six minutes, they make you do it again and again until you do!”

Sure, laugh now. But in the junior high, nobody knows about what happens in that building at the bottom of the hill. They only hear high school students on their buses complaining about homework loads or saying that they were relieved that they got a 65 on their test. Who knows what has an element of truth and what is pure fiction?

Besides talk in the junior high, freshmen are also anxious about the fact that they have no idea what they are getting into when they make decisions. For example, suddenly there are more extracurricular activities in high school than in junior high. Though a few groups may pique interest, we have no idea what to expect when we sign up for them. I have run into some extreme cases where people had no idea that they were supposed to be going to a game, meet, or tournament on a certain day.
Freshman naïveté does not just apply to new extracurricular activities, but to academics as well. Many freshmen sign up to take Honors Geometry, not knowing into what they are getting themselves. For instance, in my own class, there used to be thirty-seven people. By now, I think the number has been trimmed down to about twenty—apparently, this is normal.

Barely a month into school, dozens of students have discovered that although they selected classes at a level that they had thought was right for them, they had to move up or drop down. After transferring, these students either desperately scrambled to catch up or they became bored to death for some time because their new class was reviewing material which they had already learned. I have not been able to encounter many upperclassmen that switched levels, but even then, they did not make a big deal out of it. Changing a class level for a freshman, however, is pretty devastating. Try remembering your first day of running around the school with no idea of where to go. This sums up how confused we were mentally.

Freshman year is tough. It is perhaps the only thing that students in all grade levels can agree on. However, that is not to say that we cannot pull through with some wise choices and a whole lot of luck.