Highlander Times

Hello, everyone -

We are already into the second quarter of the year! The first quarter ended November 1. Please check your student's Aspen to see their grades and absences, and talk with your students about how they're doing. You and/or your student can reach out to the teacher with any questions. Report cards will be posted on Aspen by the end of the week and will be mailed home next week.

Parent conferences are November 14th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Please sign up for a conference on Aspen. If you are having trouble, email the teacher directly or call the community for help. Please note: If your student has a C or lower in a class, you can sign up at any time. If your student has an A or B, you can sign up for conferences starting Thursday, November 7.

Come support our Unified Sports (Special Olympics) Basketball Team this Thursday, November 8 at 4:00 pm in the fieldhouse! This our team's only home game. We are hoping to fill the stands to support our students.

We will be practicing our safety protocols - Lock Down and Secure and Hold - on Thursday, November 21 at 1:15 pm. These practice safety drills will take about 15 minutes. We will be collaborating with the Somerville Police Department. No one will be allowed in or out of the building during the drills. Please reach out to your student's community if you have questions or concerns.

Winter sports sign up is open and we encourage students to get involved! Medical clearance is Nov 19-21 and tryouts/practices begin December 2. Sign up for basketball, ice hockey, swimming, track, and cheerleading.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students.

Principal Kersten

The class of 2025 yearbook is in full production by a talented and diverse group of students. This year's keepsake for our seniors is looking to be a great one! We have three very important and time sensitive items to share with you below regarding the yearbook.

Senior Portrait Photos!

• Senior Photo Deadline: Photos should be turned in by November 22. If another photo is not submitted, picture day photos will be used.
• Email Senior Portraits to: yearbookatshs@gmail.com
• If you need a photo taken: CTE Graphics is taking basic portrait photos for those who need them. E-mail yearbookatshs@gmail.com to request a photo and we will reach out to you with a date and time.
• Basic Portrait Specifications:
• Photos should be a minimum of 4 x 5 inches and 300 pixels per inch
• Note: Larger is OK, but all photos will be sized and cropped to a similar 4 to 5 ratio.
• Acceptable File types: JPEG, PNG, and TIFF
• Name your photo as: firstname_lastname_grade - (ex: rex_ryan_12)

Yearbooks are on Sale NOW! By ordering early, you really help us to plan and keep our commitments.

• Yearbooks are $70 each - Order one by November 29, and be entered to win one of four $50 Amazon gift cards.
• Follow this link to order your yearbook online: Order Link
• (If students have cash or checks and want to order a book in person, see Mr. McElroy in C-400.)

Student Recognition Ads are Available! Celebrate your student's graduation and achievement with a personal full color congratulations ad. Ads start at ⅛ page and can be ordered on the same page as the yearbook: Order Link

We still need most of our families to sign off on our Acknowledgement of SHS Policies Form, which includes information on the handbook, photo releases, and the military information opt-out form. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001, high schools that receive federal funds must provide certain student contact information (name, address, phone number) to military recruiters upon request and must allow recruiters to have the same access to students as employers and colleges. If any student or their parent/guardian(s) do not want this information released to the military recruiters, they must complete the Military Recruitment Opt Out Form each school year, which is included in the Acknowledgement of SHS Policies Form. The first list of students who have not opted out, will be provided to the military branches who have made this request on November 1st.

• Join us for coffee, snacks, and event planning
• Upcoming winter events include a student talent show at SHS and a gathering at Dante
• Dates and details TBD with your help!

The PTSA and SFLC work together to provide gift cards for food to our SHS families in need during the holiday season. Please donate if you can, as the need is great! You can donate via Venmo @SHSPTSA1 or drop off gift cards to the high school main office.

Do you have a flexible schedule? Enjoy spending time and learning with some wonderful young adults? Then sign up to chaperone a field trip! We are looking for volunteers to help us out on field trips by chaperoning. All that is required is a CORI check and a good attitude. If interested/available, please fill out this form. Thank you to everyone who signed up already - we will be sending you a CORI form in the near future.

We are looking for winter gear in good condition. If you have coats, boots, mittens, hats and gloves that you can donate, please drop them off in the SFLC donation bin by the main office. Thank you in advance for helping keep our students warm!

• Upcoming college & career lunch visits: These are times that colleges and other programs will come to visit SHS. You do not need to sign up or register. They will be at a table in the cafeteria during lunch times and anyone can go talk to them!

• November 6: MCAS Retest - ELA Session 1
• November 7: MCAS Retest - ELA Session 2
• November 11: No School - Veterans Day
• November 12: MCAS Retest - Math Session 1
• November 13: MCAS Retest - Math Session 2
• November 13: School Improvement Council 6:30-8:00pm
• November 14: Parent Guardian Conferences 5:00-7:00 pm
• November 19-21: Winter Sports Clearance
• November 21: School Wide Safety Drill
• November 21: Picture Retake Day (not at the same time as the safety drill)
• November 22: Senior pictures are due
• November 27: 1/2 day and Pep Rally
• November 28-29: No School - Thanksgiving Break
• December 2: Winter Sports Tryouts Begin

On October 11, the Somerville High School Chorus took a trip to Providence, Rhode Island to sing at the opening night of the Providence Bruins season. The chorus sang "O Canada" as a sign of respect for the opposing team, the Laval Rocket, which is based in Quebec. When American and Canadian teams play each other, both anthems are sung. Although the Bruins lost 5-2, the chorus still had a great time performing and watching the game, and even made it on the Jumbotron! This was the chorus's third year singing for the Providence Bruins, and they are looking forward to returning in the years to come.

This summer, nine students from Somerville High were awarded the Spark Summer Scholarship generously funded by renowned author and collector Kenneth Rendell. The program is designed to ignite students' interests—referred to as their “Spark”—by providing them with the opportunity to explore a summer program of their choice. Students engaged in a diverse array of programs and traveled across the country to immerse themselves in a blend of learning and experiential fun. Students earning scholarships were: Jampa Lhanyitsang, Mariana Fuentes Vasquez, Sara Rivera Lopez, Alexander Costa Cezario, Tatiana Cerreno Beltran, Thiago Betti, Tad MacDonald, and Madison Steber.

Last Friday and Saturday, the SHS debate team competed in Boston Debate League’s first tournament of the school year at English High School. Students report that, "Competing in the BDL is so much fun, as we got to meet a lot of people from different schools around the Boston area and learn from them! Much fun was had, and many rounds won." There were five varsity teams and one jayvee team, with many people competing at a level they had never competed at before.

(Pictured is Kai Chin during one of her speeches.)

As is customary, seniors dressed up in costume on October 31st. (And some staff members got in on the fun, too.) They attended their first three classes, then went to two festive lunch blocks. The weather was gorgeous for the costume parade in front of the building that all enjoyed. Shout out to the robotics team who represented the MBTA and all its realities. And Michael Calle Gomez dressed (and performed!) as Cher and won a free prom ticket!

Students in the Early Education CTE program and the PE Foundations class paired up to form a weekly collaboration. Once a week, students engage in the PE curriculum with sports and dance, most recently kickball at Reavis Field and dance in the yoga/dance studio. Integrating students with and without special needs can have an impact on students' mental health and overall character development. Students in the early education program learn valuable leadership skills and make connections that carry over into classrooms, hallways, cafe, and even the homecoming dance! Also, they ALL have a blast as you can see by their actions and faces. Inclusion activities like this can really help build positive school culture. Many of the peers are planning to attend the 11/7 Unified Basketball Game at SHS at 4:00pm and cheer their classmates on loudly as they play their hearts out. Everyone is welcome to attend the team's last home game of the season, so come one, come all!

From Skills USA to increasing enrollment in all CTE programs, our students are preparing for bright post-secondary futures. This past summer, we offered four different CTE programs for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders: health careers, carpentry, graphics, and culinary arts. The 3-week program had forty-eight students enrolled. Also, 18-21-year-olds took part in a pre-apprenticeship program for construction trades through MassHire. SHS educators ran the 9-week program in plumbing, carpentry, and electrical with more planned for the future.

Since the 2021-22 school year, the number of students in CTE programs has risen by nearly 250 students. The breakdown is as follows:

• Total Enrollment for Class of 2028: 324
• Total Enrollment for Class of 2027: 247
• Total Enrollment for Class of 2026: 175
• Total Enrollment for Class of 2025: 129

Many programs are open to the public:

• Cosmetology is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-1pm. Call 617-629-5250 x611550 to make an appointment.
• Automotive is open. Please fill out this form to schedule a service.
• Culinary has been open for takeout for high school staff on average 2-3 days a week. They also catered two veteran breakfasts with 40-50 veterans in attendance each time. They have seven more dates booked.