NHS Principal Communications - May, 16, 2024
As typical, the high school is abuzz with activity in and out of the classroom.
First, I'd like to congratulate our seniors. This Friday will mark their final day of formal classes which will be followed by a robust senior week that starts in just over a week. Come celebrate with the graduates and their families on Saturday, June 1 as they participate in our annual car parade (10:00 AM). Hanging out on the front lawn is a great way to enjoy the event.
Second, our sports and activities are flourishing.
- The latest state rankings have all of our teams primed to make the state tournaments/relays once again. Good luck to the Boys and Girls Track Teams at there CAL Championship meet tomorrow.
- Our Sailbot team is gearing up for their 3-peat. The Sailbot competition starts the week of June 3rd at Camp Bauercrest in Amesbury.
- Recently, our state recognized investment club conducted their final presentation of the year to their advisory board. Their investment portfolio has done quite well and they are making plans to monitor it across the summer. Thanks so much to the NEF and volunteer advisors for making this opportunity a reality. The depth of knowledge fund analysis our students have gained is an invaluable skill.
- Our Slam Poetry team had a great showing 2 weeks ago at the state finals competition with a 2nd place finish. Kudos to all the students who are part of the team.
Last, I'd like to commend students Nora Geerlings, Sam Hartford, Declan Hocheiser, Riya Kaur, Rourke Lee, Sasha Leydon, and Michelle Seznec along with Dr. Abrams for the panel they ran last night for Newburyport families. Originating from a review of school climate data, our students partnered with Newburyport Youth Services to help all of us better understand the pressures of being a student. Their input and thoughts last night were very helpful as we are getting ready to start our planning for next school year.
Please see below for the following updates and reminders:
- Calendar Reminder - MCAS + Final Exams + Waterfront Arts Festival
- iPAD Lease to Own Registration is Open - MySchoolBucks.com
- Course Spotlight - Physics
- Student Service
- Students of the Month
May 21 + 22
Next Tuesday and Wednesday will have an altered schedule to accommodate for math MCAS. Regular classes will begin at 11:15. See below for how the morning will be used.
- Grades 9 and 10 will come to school at the regular time. Grade 9 will participate in their Biology Blitz to prepare for their upcoming Biology MCAS. Grade 10 will take the math MCAS
- Grade 11 - College Application Workshop - Guidance has prepared a great use of time for juniors to start getting organized around the college application process. Students who want to participate can register for the workshops which will begin at 8:30 AM. I highly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity. Registration Form.
Jun 4 + Jun 5
Grade 9 will take the biology MCAS. Grades 10 and 11 will have a 2 hr delay. Buses will still run at their regular time.
June 13 - 18 - Final Exam Schedule
During final exams, students will participate in culminating assessment and projects for each of their classes. Click the link above to see the exam week schedule. Buses will pick-up students on exam days at 12:45 PM. The morning bus pick-up will stay the same.
Waterfront Performing Arts Festival - This Saturday (May 18: 12-4:00 PM)
The 2024 NPS K-12 Waterfront Performing Arts Festival presented by the Institution for Savings and the Newburyport Education Foundation will be Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 12-4 PM at Waterfront Park (behind Sea Level and The Firehouse Center for the Arts). Please join us for this incredible showcase and celebration of the young performing artists in our district!
The registration portal is open. If you would like to opt-in for your student to receive a school issued iPAD please check out this. Our teachers will continue to engage in PD over this summer on novel ways the iPAD can be used in the classroom to enhance the learning experience.
My School Bucks - Go Here to Register
On April 26th, juniors at Newburyport High School had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Alan Lightman, bestselling author and MIT professor in both physics and humanities. All juniors received a copy of Dr. Lightman's book "Probable Impossibilities," made possible through the generosity of the Charles and Marianne Small Charitable Foundation and the Newburyport Literary Festival. In preparation, NHS physics teachers--Mr. Cole, Mr. Goldner, and Mr. McCarthy--collaborated on assessing the essays and planning meaningful activities to bridge literacy and the sciences. Students read selections of the essays in the book, which detail both physics and metaphysical musings, and had the opportunity to have a question and answer session with Dr. Lightman. Questions from students ranged from physics--about the speed of light, black holes, and the reality of the physics in the movie Interstellar--to the philosophical--what might happen if we implant a computer in every person's brain. Students were so engaged, they didn't want to stop talking to Dr. Lightman. Students said, "Definitely bring someone like him again. Philosophy and physics. Very eye opening and interesting." And, "I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Dr. Lightman speak! I liked the structure of the session— being able to ask questions as opposed to it being more lecture-based." Activities such as this help us to make Newburyport the place where tradition and innovation converge while promoting literacy across disciplines.
Students across the high school have been very active offering service throughout the community. As we progress towards summer break, consider this a reminder that students are able to earn transcript credit for logged and approved community service. 75 Hrs of service is the equivalent to 2.5 credits and 150 Hrs of service is the equivalent to 5.0 credits. Check out the links on the College and Career Center site for different service opportunities. Pictures at the bottom of this message highlight what our students have been up to.
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.
Annabelle Bienvenue, Ash Cattan, Duncan Coir, Finley Cowan, Jack Fruh, Antonio Gomes Franco De Lima, Declan Hochheiser, Sienna Gediman, Ciara Geragthy, Carter Jay, Owen Kreuz, Sofie LaFranchise, Eve LeBlanc, Austin Madden, Anthony Marks, Emerson McCormick, Connor McGovern, Emily Meleedy, Tom Mettling, Sebastian Petersen, Amelia Price, Jacob Shnidman, Jack Sullivan, Malija Tashi