Principal's Newsletter

May 5th, 2024

Good afternoon MHS families,

I hope you have all had an enjoyable weekend. This past week we had a lot of exciting activity at MHS. We a great show put on by our Performing Arts department, Kodachrome. The cast and crew did a wonderful job, putting on two stellar performances. Pictures from the performance can be seen below.

We also hosted our Inaugural International Night on Thursday, May 2nd. There was food, dance, and games from over 30 countries that were represented. A big shout out to our International Club, our high school Inclusivity, Cultural, and Unity team, and the Student Voice Summit for working together together such a memorable event! Pictures from the night can be seen below, and we definitely look forward to hosting the event again next year!

This past Friday, members of our Student Voice Summit presented the morning announcements by airing the first episode of "The Buzz," our pre-taped morning news show. Their goal is to showcase all the great things going on at MHS each Friday through a previously recorded video that will be shown in their first block class. The students have been working hard to get this program off the ground and the students are excited to keep it going. If your interested in viewing the first episode you can click the link here.

This week continues to bring lots of activity at MHS. There are a variety of athletic contests going on, and we are hosting the Annual District Art Show on Thursday, May 9th from 5:30-7:30PM in the MHS lobby and cafeteria, so be sure to come by and check things out.

One last piece of information to look for below is in regards to the DIstrict Perception Survey. Each year a perception survey is sent out per the requirement of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. A link was sent to parents late last week, and we will be sending a link to students at the start of the following week. Parents/Guardians are reminded that they can elect to opt their student out of the perception survey. More information about the perception survey and a link to opt your student out of the survey can be found below.

Each year The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires all school districts to administer an annual self-evaluation and school perception survey. The purpose of the evaluation is to document the district's efforts to create and maintain a school system that is non-discriminatory and accessible to all.

We invite you to complete this 10-minute survey as your voice is critical to inform this process and to understand the current state of equity within the district and your school. This survey is anonymous and will be used to surface trends so that we can continue to create a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible learning environment for each member of our community.

Please complete the survey by Friday, May 12th. The family survey is linked here.

Students will be provided the opportunity to complete the survey starting on May 13th. Any family that would like to opt their student out of taking the survey should contact one of the school administrators by Friday, May 10th.

A reminder to families that the Math MCAS will take place on Tuesday, May 21st and Wednesday, May 22nd. Any student in grades 9, 11, and 12 will have a reverse half-day where school will start at 10:25am on both days. Students who ride the bus should be ready at their bus stop 3 hours after their normal pick-up time.

Students in grade 10 should report to school for the normal start time of 7:25am to take their Math MCAS.

Congressman Auchincloss’ office is hosting a Virtual Service Academy Night on Tuesday, May 28th from 6:00-7:30pm. This is an opportunity for high school students in grades 9-11 to learn more about the application process for the five United States Service Academies: West Point, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines, and Coast Guard.

During the Academy Night, students will get to hear from Congressman Auchincloss’ staff about the Congressional nomination process required for four of the five service academies (Coast Guard Academy does not require a Congressional nomination). We will also be joined by representatives from each of the service academies to hear about the individual schools’ application processes.

Please distribute this information to students who may be interested in applying to attend a United States Service Academy. Pre-registration for the webinar is required.

Students and parents may register for the webinar at this LINK.

Senior Families: Graduation has been confirmed for Sunday, June 2nd at the Xfinity Center with the ceremony beginning at 1pm. More details will follow.

Cap, Gown and Graduation Photo - $23

It’s hard to believe but graduation is on the horizon. In preparation for the big day, we are starting to collect payment from seniors for their cap, gown, tassel and a graduation photo taken at the ceremony, mailed home in July. Payment of $23 is due by Friday, April 26th. The QR code will take you to Unipay if you would like to pay with it.

Payment can be made online via the Unipay link on the District website, for a fee, or by check payable to “Mansfield High School”, and brought to the Main Office. Please provide the senior’s name if paying by check.

Unipay instructions for Cap & Gown: go to mansfieldschools.com => Parents Tab => Online Payments => Unipay Link => MHS Student Activity (under Transactions) => Cap & Gown.

The deadline to order a 2024 Mansfield High School Yearbook has passed. If you would like to be put on a waitlist for books in May please email jennifer.martinelli@mansfieldschools.com. Any available waitlist books will be available at the end of May for $90 and they will be given out on a first come, first served basis.

For more yearbook information check out our google site: https://sites.google.com/mansfieldschools.com/mhsyearbook/order-a-yearbook?authuser=0

Vaping in high school continues to be a concern across the country. At MHS we have hired 2 hall monitors, instituted a digital pass system, and developed a vape education program in order to continue to try and support a safe and healthy environment for all our students.

In an effort to combat the ongoing challenge of vaping within our school (and others), please take a look at and utilize the various resources provided below to learn more about vaping in order to start/continue the conversation with your child. Making progress in this area is a group effort, and we want to provide support for families at home with these resources.

General Info:

What parents need to know

Quick Facts about vaping

Vaping and the impact of Covid

Vaping can't harm teens?

Information on Quitting:

How to quit

This is quitting

Nicotine withdrawal and how to cope

Russ Booth - Principal

Abigail Barlas - Assistant Principal, Student Support Services

Matthew McGuire - Assistant Principal, Grades 9 & 11

Ellen Noto - Assistant Principal, Grades 10 & 12

Timothy Tichacek - Assistant Director, Special Education

Tim Selmon - Athletic Director

Email: russ.booth@mansfieldschools.com
Website: https://mhs.mansfieldschools.com/
Location: 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA, USA
Phone: 508-261-7540
Twitter: @MHSHornets