As we wrap up our fall activities, winter activities come alive. MERHS has been bustling with joy and excitement throughout the fall. I am so excited to see what winter will bring. Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we focus on our students and their experiences here.

A note on dropping off your student in the morning:

Many of you have seen Officer Locke and myself out in the mornings trying to manage the traffic situation out front. It will never be entirely perfect, but it is extremely helpful if you pull up as far as possible and let your student when you are in the circle in front of MERHS. If we can have 5 or 6 cars dropping off at a time, there is a significant decrease in the amount of traffic backup. I know it's getting colder and the extra walk is chilly, but it truly makes a difference. We cannot allow students to be dropped off in the faculty parking lot, so please avoid the faculty lot for that purpose. Arrival before 7:35 is always encouraged as there is very little traffic then...but I know that getting out of the house is sometimes a battle! Please reach out if you have questions and thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Congratulations to Ms. Buckley-Harmon and the staff of The Independent on 30 years of award-winning journalism! The school is very proud of and grateful for The Independent's years of service and coverage of our school community.

Seniors who are not taking AP Literature have started their new quarter 2 English electives. Choices include: Middle Eastern Literature, Women Writers Around the World, Absurdly Original: The Plays of Samuel Beckett, British Literature: Modernism, and Southern Gothic Literature.

Class of 2025 and families . . .

Sign in and join the counseling team for a virtual session on "all things junior" and post-secondary planning next Thursday, November 30 at 6:30pm via Google Meeting. It's an annual conversation for all students considering college and/or other post-secondary programs/plans after high school. More details will be delivered juniors and parents/guardians next week, including information on joining the online meeting. We hope you will mark your calendars - it's great when students participate with their family members.

The Manchester Community Center is looking for student volunteers to help with the Jingle Bell Walk on Saturday, December 2nd from 1-3pm.

The event will take place in Masconomo Park. Volunteers should arrive at noon to decorate the park and gazebo for Santa's arrival. Student volunteers will help with crafts and games and assist with clean up at the end of the event.

The Jingle Bell Walk is sponsored by the Manchester Community Center, The Manchester Mothers Club and the Manchester Parks and Recreation Dept.

Students will receive three hours of community service for this event and the contact is Kim Kaner, 508-843-8360.

Students in AP Psychology learned about neurotransmitters by creating superheroes highlighting their key functions.

In Civic Action and Media Literacy, the first semester 9th grade civic action projects are underway! Students will be conducting surveys during the research phase and interviews during the action phase. Preliminary topics include restructuring student advisory committee, later start times at the high school, menstruation education in elementary schools, new electives at the high school, domestic animal overpopulation, High School's tardy policy, access to sports equipment and much more!

In EBA, students are reviewing Supreme Court Cases to examine how evidence is used in high-profile cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia.

In US History I, students are going to work on a DBQ analysis of the Louisiana Purchase and start a Twitter Project comparing Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

ADL

Our A World of Difference student group met with facilitators from the ADL to begin training to lead sessions with the 9th grade. Students participated in activities and discussions about how to recognize and address bias to make the school a safe and welcoming place for all.

The French 3 Honors students studied the fall-themed poem "Les feuilles mortes" by Jacques Prévert and compared it with the American song "Autumn Leaves"; they also used recitation of the poem for pronunciation practice.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture students deepened their understanding of "Dia de los Muertos" (The Day of the Dead) by viewing two PBS videos that explore the festivities in Mexico. Following this, they drew parallels between this celebration and Halloween, articulating their comparisons during a Formal Presentation as part of their preparation for the AP exam. Additionally, they selected a notable individual who has passed away and created an epitaph for that person.

The inaugural Student-Faculty Soccer Game organized by the Spanish Club took place on Highland Field the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving. Featuring players from both the girls' and boys' soccer teams, the event aimed to raise funds for the Spanish Club's inaugural visit to a Latino restaurant. The match witnessed spirited competition from both sides, with the students dominating the first half. In the second half, the teachers adjusted their formation to 16 against 11, resulting in a balanced score of 2 goals for both students and teachers. It proved to be an enjoyable night for participants and spectators alike. Special thanks to all the staff members who, despite the chilly temperatures, courageously took on our highly skilled students!

We are planning our annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit Pathways for Children. Pathways is a nonprofit organization that supports economically vulnerable local families and their children, and is based in Gloucester, Salem and Beverly.

We are asking for donations of new and unwrapped toys. If you are looking for ideas, Pathways has created an Amazon Wish list which will be available soon.

In-building collection for the Toy drive will begin on Thursday, December 1st. Donations can be placed in the box outside the high school main office.

Thank you for your support of this worthy organization, and for helping make holiday dreams come true!

Friday, December 1: Santa by Boat event, 4-7pm, Town Landing in Essex

We could use students (no limit on number) to help at Santa and Mrs. Claus's arrival by boat event. We will provide festive gear for elves, and for the very brave, character costumes. We have a number of positions and will prioritize and assign based on how many volunteers we have. We are happy to take students for whatever time they can give but would prefer the whole thing, as it's a very busy event.

Saturday, December 2, 7:30am - 11:30am, Community Breakfast, Essex Elementary School

We would love to have 4-6 students to run craft tables for younger kids during the pancake breakfast. We will provide all materials and festive gear. It would be ideal to have volunteers stay the whole time but could easily break into two shifts of two hours each (7:30-9:30 and 9:30-11:30).