September has gone by quickly and it's hard to believe it has been almost 2 weeks since our fall rally took place. I'd like to thank our Student Council for their coordination of our annual activities fair. We have well over 75% of our students participating in either a fall sport, the school play, or our music program. Outside of these programs, there are plenty of other extracurricular options for students as well. Participation in an activity is a great way to connect with students across grade levels. Here is a link to the various clubs at NHS.

Over the next few weeks a lot will be happening here at the high school. Please see below for these updates.

• School Safety Planning
• Oct 10 - PSAT Day - Gr 9 Activities - Senior Essay Support
• School Day Schedule for Oct 10 and 11
• School Council
• ALS Cup - Oct 5
• Congratulations
• Course Spotlight

Grade 10 + 11
On the morning of October 10th, Newburyport High School will administer the PSAT/NMSQT to all sophomores and juniors.

Strengthening our College and Career Readiness program has been a priority, and over the past few years, we have increased student access to college level courses by expanding dual enrollment offerings and advanced placement courses. Having all sophomores and juniors take the PSAT will provide families valuable information on their child’s academic strengths and areas for growth as they relate to college and career readiness skills. Additionally, the results give the school access to actionable data that our teachers will use to improve instruction.

I am very appreciative of the School Council, School Committee, and NEF for the support and feedback they have provided as we continue to develop our academic/career pathways so all students leave NHS with a flexible post-secondary plan.

Grade 9

To accommodate for the testing on October 10th, grade 9 students will participate in activities to support their ongoing transition into high school. They will engage in team building activities through our wellness program, and our school counseling team will engage with students on strategies for managing stress, fostering peer support, and cultivating a school culture that prioritizes mental health awareness. All freshmen will also take a brief baseline assessment in math and ELA that will help teachers to plan future lessons.

Grade 12

Seniors will have a delayed start to school. The school day will begin at 11:50. From 8:30 to 11:30, the Grade 12 English teachers will be available to support seniors with their college essays. Students can sign-up for this with their English teacher.

With the PSAT taking place next week, I am excited to announce that from last year's exam, we have 3 students who have been named Commended Students by the College Board and the National Merit Program. "A National Merit Commended Scholar is a student who scored in the top 3-4% of all test-takers on the PSAT/NMSQT which is offered in October of each year." Congratulations are in order for:

Andrew Hall

Callum Johnson

Cedar Schumacher

Next week, 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. On October 8th, teachers will review A.L.I.C.E. with students during advisory using this presentation. Over the course of next week, teachers will also review evacuation and lock-down procedures in each of their classes. On Oct. 11th, with support from the Newburyport Police, we will then run a drill and receive feedback from the police.

I’d like to thank the following parents who will be part of this year’s school council: Renee Ames, Amber Barbere, Jeanne Coffey, and Erin Seaton. I'd also like to thank Stacy Gijsbers who will serve as the community representative to the council from NYS. The above members will also be joined by teachers Chris Cain, Jaime Calisi, David Clay and Richard Pace 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. The first meeting of the council will be Tuesday, Oct 8 at 5:00 PM. Agendas are posted on the high school's website under the "About Us" tab. Here is next Tuesday's Agenda.

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. The games are being played at 5:00 and 7:00 pm on Saturday evening.

Please know that while "cashless" ticket sales are appreciated, there will be an option on Saturday, and throughout the remainder of the fall season to purchase a ticket with cash. Note: Excluding any MIAA playoff games which will be online ticket sales through the GoFan app.

Students part of Ms. Moran's Conservation Biology have been studying the role Monarch Butterflies play in supporting a healthy environment. For this, they have taken to the field to monitor life cycles, wing span, and flora impact. Today students part of the class delivered mini lessons to educate students about this species during our Clipper Block period. Conservation Biology is considered an Advanced Technical course part of our Environmental Pathway.

Students interested in learning more about becoming part of this pathway should contact Erin Hobbs (ehobbs@newburyport.k12.ma.us). More pathways are also on the horizon with advanced manufacturing and health care.

The annual Golf Tournament is the team’s biggest fundraiser of the year (SUN. OCT 20)

Not a golfer? You can still support – buy raffle tickets, donate auction items, sponsor a hole and more!

Please click the link below to find out how you can help support NHS Boys Soccer.

Find Out More

Help you student stay informed. Have them download the NPS APP.

Download the AS (Activity Scheduler) Mobile App to keep track of all the games happening through our athletics program.