As our students and teachers look to wrap up their lessons before the February break, our extra-curricular programs continue to thrive.

• With just 2 weeks until the state tournaments begin, all of our teams are in good spots to continue into the postseason. Congrats to the Girls Swim Team, Boys Track, Boys Hockey, and Boys Basketball on already clinching the CAL title.

• Back from a recent trip to NYC, students in our theater program had a taste of Broadway and will be putting the finishing touches on their production of Legally Blonde with opening night of March 15th.

• During February break, over 2 dozen of our students will explore the geological wonders of Iceland. Organized through our science department, this should be a great experience for everyone involved.

• Don't forget on March 6, the Global Scholars club will host the 2nd International Cultural Night. They are still collecting photos for their travel display. Be sure to click on the QR code if you have any travel photos to share. This was a very popular display at last year's event.

Be sure to see below for updates in the following areas.

• Student Handbook Review and February School Council Mtg Summary
• Reminder: Semester 1 Reports Available in Aspen X2
• Updates from the College and Career Center
• Student Achievement Awards - Congrats
• Investment Club - Winners of the Massachusetts Stock Market Game
• February Clippers of the Month
• Course Spotlight

Here is the February 6 Meeting Summary for the HS School Council. A primary focus for the Council over the next 2 meetings will be the student handbook. Below are the policies and procedures the group has engaged in discussion around for potential changes. Clicking on each topic will take you directly to that section of the Feb 6 meeting summary, so you can read what is being discussed and/or proposed.

• Breathalyzers
• MIAA Chemical Health Policy
• Attendance Procedures
• Attendance Policy - Withholding Course Credit for Too Many Unexcused Absences

As a reminder, semester 1 reports are available in Aspen X2. Please see below for instructions on how to access them.

View S1 High School Report Card in Aspen:

1. Log into Aspen's Family Portal
2. From Pages Top Tab Scroll down to Published Reports Box
3. Click on the S1 Report Card
4. It will download as a PDF that you can View or Print

• Get College Ready: College Planning Night - If you missed this event a few weeks ago, click the link above to hear what was discussed.

• Overview of Ways to Reduce the Cost of College - Thursday, Feb 15 at 6:30 PM This This is a great opportunity for grade 9, 10, and 11 families to start strategically thinking about the costs of college and the different methods available to reduce them before starting the college search. To register for the webinar, please complete the Family Registration Form located here: https://collegeaffordable.org/newburyporths/

• Any student interested in learning more about what Empire Beauty School has to offer, please attend their Info Session on Thur, Feb 15th at 12pm in the College & Career Center. See Mr. Smith for a pass.

• Scholarship information sessions for seniors: Clipper Block – Feb 29 - Sign-up​

• Future Pathways: Alternatives to Success Without a College Degree - March 5th at 1:30pm during Clipper Block

• Greater Essex County College & Career Fair - Thursday, April 4, 2024 from 6pm-7:30pm in the NHS gym. Students please Register HERE!!!

• Set-Up Your College and Career Road Map: We are introducing an exciting resource with personalized roadmaps for parents. We need you to set up your personalized college and career roadmap for you and your student. It will provide you a much better sense of control in a process that is often overwhelming. It is straightforward and should take less than 1 minute. Click Here For Instructions.

Congratulations to the following students who recently received recognition from the state for their achievement on state assessments.

Jayden Amaral, Samuel Brickman, Harrison Gisjbers, James Kench, Adelaide Malone, Lydia Mantzekis, Christopher Rohland, Nadia Toth, William Tymowski, Sean Urbanczyk, Matilda Welch-Malkasian

Last week, Advisor Mr. McCarthy and the club received notice that they had won the Massachusetts Stock Market Game. They competed against hundreds of other high schools in Massachusetts. Each school was given $100k to work with and Newburyport came in 1st place overall. Hosted by the SIFMA Foundation, this friendly competition allows students to gain invaluable insights into economics, finance, and the dynamics of the financial markets.

With support from local finance experts and the Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF), our Investment Club is currently managing a portfolio with funds provided by the NEF. This work definitely paid off with the state's competition.

The following students have been recognized as Clippers of the Month. Accomplishments for these students range from embracing learning and demonstrating growth in the classroom as well as collaborating and persevering through difficult tasks in and out of the classroom.

Milla Baptiste, Bethany Bentley, Gus Cordingley, Matthew Desimio-Maloney, Kamilly Do Nascimento, Ciara Geraghty, Emily Homer, Catherine Macdonald, Logan MacKnight, Tessa Nickerson, Drew Newman, Kamilly Russi, Kathryn Westgate

Students interested in business are able to take 3 different course offerings at NHS: Introduction to Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Designed and taught by Mr. John Trask, who formerly worked in the business sector, these courses expose students to the realities of the business world. From creating business plans to developing marketing strategies for current happenings, students learn the value of collaboration, problem-solving, goal setting, and rebounding from a failed product.

To further add to the realism of the course, Mr. Trask recently invited 3 NHS alumni who are currently college juniors at Fordham, Clemson and Furman majoring in business fields such as marketing and entrepreneurship. As part of the alumni presentations, students heard about the value of self-marketing, becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, the importance of networking, rehearsing a pitch, and securing internships while in college. All three alumni were able to highlight the value of Linked-In to showcase a work portfolio and build a professional network.