It was great to see so many students and families participate in the College and Career Fair last night. Switching to a regional model has helped recruit a larger number of colleges and employers to participate. Thank you to Mr. Smith from our College and Career Resource Center for coordinating this event as we work to support all of our students to develop flexible post-secondary plans.

 

Last Friday's Fall Rally allowed our students and staff to have some fun while recognizing different areas of the high school. The students brought the energy level up a notch as we celebrated our fall teams along with the unveiling of the Sailbot Championship trophy. The Clipper's Cheer Team led us in spirit cheers, and our Band enhanced the festive feeling of the rally. I want to give special thanks to Mr. Pace for his organization of the rally, and also a big thanks to Stephen D’Ambrosio, Carly McDermott, Owen Kreuz, Eli Raymond, AnnieKate Ames, and Ryan Gasbarro for taking the reins on leading the assembly.

 

Please see below for some updates regarding:

 

• School Safety Planning
• High School Accreditation
• School Council
• ALS CUP – Boys and Girls Soccer Doubleheader on Saturday
• Congratulations
• Course Spotlight

Have a great night and Go Clippers

 

Over the next few weeks, we will engage the school in safety training using A.L.I.C.E. protocols. In the event of a violent intruder to our building, A.L.I.C.E. protocols provide everyone in the building options in addition to locking down in a classroom. The acronym refers to Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. earlier this week, teachers reviewed A.L.I.C.E. with students during the school day using this presentation. Over the course of next week, teachers will review evacuation and lock-down procedures in each of their classes. On Oct. 6, with support from the Newburyport Police, we will then run a drill and receive feedback from the police.

 

This week, a team of educators part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges visited Newburyport High School. Every 10 years, high schools undergo a process to measure themselves against the Standards of Accreditation. The team of educators visited classrooms, met with students, parents, teachers, and administration. Over the course of the next month, we will receive a report that highlights our strengths and offers recommendations to incorporate into our school improvement plan.

 

Thank you to the following parents and community members for being a part of the process: Brian Callahan, Peter and Mary D'Ambrosio, Monica Duncan, Ray Felts, Sharon Kennedy, Meghan Kinsey, Mariana Lynch, Carrie O'Donnell, Deb Pare, Mayor Reardon, Ryan Smith, Sheila Spalding, Katie Sucheki, and Juliet Walker.

 

I’d like to thank the following parents who will be part of this year’s school council: Renee Ames, Amber Barbere, Stacy Gijsbers, and Laurie Kench. They will be joined by teachers Jill Moran, Dave Clay, Jessica Buchman, and Chris Cain along with students Declan Hocheiser, Rourke Lee, Emerson Leahy, and Priya Kaur. The school council supports the high school administration in developing the school improvement plan, budget proposal, and student handbook.

 

This Saturday is the annual ALS Cup during which the Boys and Girls Soccer team compete against Pentucket. This long standing annual charity event is one of the largest attended athletic matches of the year outside of the Thanksgiving Football game. There will be a lot of activities to engage all generations of the Clipper Community. First game starts at 5:00 PM. ALS Cup Flyer.

 

Nolan Smith was recently recognized at the school committee for receiving the Superintendent’s Award. This recognition encompasses achievement, service, and leadership. Nolan has been a scholar in the classroom while also taking a leadership role with the ACES program to encourage more students to engage in service activities that help our environment.

 

Alongside Nolan, Art Teacher Aileen Maconi was recently recognized by the school committee for her work in developing our Global Citizenship Program that engages students in interdisciplinary studies, community service, and cultural activities and experiences to increase their global awareness and strengthen their ability to work and innovate in a globally connected world. NHS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM.

 

 

National Merit Commendation

 

Matthew Desimio-Maloney and Aimon Fadil received a National Merit Commendation. They are among 30,000 students nationwide who have shown exceptional academic promise based on results from last year’s PSAT/NMSQT exam.

 

This is the inaugural year for Conservation Biology. As we continue to develop an Environmental and Life Science Pathway at the high school, Conservation Biology allows students to explore threats to biodiversity and approaches to conservation. Under the tutelage of Ms. Moran, students develop inquiry skills and expand their knowledge on data analysis strategies to monitor the health of our local flora and fauna. In partnership with the Parker River Clean Water Association, students in this course are able to connect and network with experts in this area.

 

Studying the environmental impact on the development of the Monarch Butterfly