Students who have lost a loved one are invited to join the free grief group on campus. The group is run by Hospice and meets once a week for six weeks. Students share experiences and process grief through a variety of planned activities, including talking, writing, and art. Any student who has experienced a loss at any time may participate. The group has successfully worked with students whose losses were years ago.

Each session lasts one hour, so students will not miss the whole block of class. If there is a week a student cannot miss an hour of class, group attendance is not mandatory. 

Parents and students interested in the grief group can learn more from this parent letter. For students to participate, this consent form must be filled out, signed, and returned to Ms. Andreula, either scanned via email or left in her box at school. For more information, please contact Ms. Andreula.

The Florida High School Athletic Association football district realignment moves Atlantic from District 13-7A (Dwyer, Forest Hill, Olympic Heights, Palm Beach Lakes, Royal Palm Beach and West Boca Raton) to District 10-8A (Boca Raton, John I. Leonard, Lake Worth, Park Vista, Santaluces and Spanish River) next year, allowing the ATL football team to play more schools that are closer to home.

Congratulations to ATL senior Wilder Amissant, the Sun-Sentinel's Character Counts student of the week. Click here to read the Sun-Sentinel story.

The Palm Beach County Community Angel Network is a directory of local agencies in need of volunteers of all ages. Find organizations based on your interests — animals, children, environment, seniors, medical, etc.

Walk MS Palm Beach needs volunteers for their National Multiple Sclerosis Society event on Sunday, Feb. 22. If you'd like to volunteer, email Isabelle Cote of the Walk MS Palm Beach committee at ICote@scripps.edu.

Event and volunteer information:
Registration begins at 7:30 am
Walk begins at 9 am
Location: Waterfront City Commons at 101 South Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach

Volunteer Tasks & Time Day Before (Saturday, February 21)
Depending on the roles, hours may vary.
Set up (4pm-6pm) – 20 Volunteers Needed
 
Volunteer Tasks & Time Day Of (Sunday, February 22)
Depending on the roles, hours may vary.
Set up (6am-7am) – 20 Volunteers Needed
Balloon Placement (6am-7:30am) – 5 Volunteers Needed
Parking – (7am – 9am) – 6 Volunteers Needed
Greeters – (7am-9:30am) – 5 Volunteers Needed
Kids Zone (7am-12pm) – 3 Volunteers Needed
Champions Against MS Tent (7am-12pm) – 5 Volunteers Needed
Photographers (7am-12pm) – at least 2 Volunteers
Photo Check-In (7am-12pm) – 2 Volunteers Needed
Prize Distribution (7am-9:30am) – 8 Volunteers Needed
Prize Distribution (10:30am-12pm) – 8 Volunteers Needed
Pre-Breakfast (6:30am-9:30am) – 8 Volunteers Needed
Breakfast (9:30-12pm) – 8 Volunteers Needed
Rest Stops (8am-12pm) – 6 Volunteers Needed
Support Vehicle Driver (8am – 12pm) – at least 4 Volunteers
Massage Therapists (9:30am-12pm) – at least 4 Volunteers
Cheering (10am-12:30am) – 20 Volunteers Needed 
Breakdown (11am-1pm) – 20 Volunteers Needed 

The school district's annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving Institutions recruitment tour is Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 13 and 14, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Schools will provide transportation for students during the school day.

Palm Beach County students received 823 college acceptances and more than $616,000 in scholarship money at last year's tour.

Historic Black Colleges and Universities expected to attend include Morris College, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), Bethune-Cookman University, Alabama State University, Talladega College, Tuskegee University, Edward Waters College, Shaw University, Spellman College and Howard University.

Hispanic-serving universities in attendance will be Palm Beach State College, Florida Atlantic University, St. Thomas University, Keiser University and Florida International University.

Interested seniors should contact their guidance counselor for information on the bus tour to the event and to obtain transcripts.

Parents and students are invited to attend the family event at the convention center on Wednesday, Jan. 14 from 6 pm to 8 pm to speak with college and university representatives.
 
For more information, please contact Eunice Greenfield at 561-434-8820.

The school board last week approved two calendars for next school year — one  that complies with the state law that says classes cannot begin earlier than two weeks before Labor Day and has classes begin on August 24, and another provisional calendar that has classes begin on August 17. The provisional calendar can only be enacted if the law is amended to allow for a school district to set its own start date.

If classes begin on August 24, the first semester will not end until after the winter break, on January 15. Parents, educators and school board members have expressed concern that extending the semester into January means that high school students will be required to take final exams after the winter break. School board members have encouraged parents to contact state representatives and the governor to express support for a change to the state law.

The approved 2015-2016 calendar:

• School begins on Monday, August 24.
• An 86-day first semester ends January 15 (after winter break).
• A 94-day second semester ends June 9.

The provisional 2015-2016 calendar:

• School begins on Monday, August 17.
• An  81-day first semester ends Dec 18 (before winter break).
• A 99-day second semester ends June 2.

On both calendars:

• Teachers return four days before students to avoid a pay gap for teachers.
• Alternating teacher work days/in-service days at the end of each grading period
• Traditional three-day Thanksgiving break (November 25-27), two-week winter break (December 21-January 1) and a five-day spring break (March 21-25)
• Traditional holidays on Labor Day (September 7), Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday (January 18), Memorial Day (May 30), two fall holidays (September 14 and 23) and Veteran’s Day (November 11).

The following require further review and are not yet listed on either calendar:

• High school late start days (Learning Team Meetings or LTMs) and elementary and middle Schools early release days (Professional Development Days or PDDs)
• Emergency Make-Up Days (EMDs)
• Dates for the administration of state assessments and other mandatory testing

For more information please contact the School District Office of Labor Relations at 561-357-7696.

High school grades for the 2013-2014 school year were released Dec. 18. ATL was one of only five high schools in the district to earn an A four years in a row. Congratulations students, teachers and staff!

Congratulations to Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Shelton Johnson (pictured below), and to the other ATL athletes who made all-area teams and honorable mentions for fall sports!

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach student of the month for January is Alinda Saintval, and Lisa Milchman is the teacher of the month. Congratulations!