Natick Redhawks
Your Weekly Update from Natick High School
Dear Natick High School Caregivers,
We hope that you and your students stayed warm today! We have one more week until school break, and a lot going on! First, congratulations to the cast and crew of the student-directed musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The singing and acting was amazing. Below, you will also see shout-outs to many of our student musicians who were recently accepted into regional and state vocal and instrumental performance groups, as well as some recent successes of the Speech and Debate team.
In the next month or so, there are a number of academic and athletics-related deadlines, including the course registration deadline for next year (2/14), the deadline for 10th graders to register for the pre-ACT(today!), the deadline to register for spring athletics, the deadline for seniors to take the STAMP test (to get the diploma Seal of Bilteracy), and the deadline to apply for local scholarships - to name a few. Please read below at your convenience and reach out with any questions you may have. Below, you will also see important information on the annual report cards that the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) gives to each school and district.
Below, you will also see information on a few notable upcoming events including the Chinese Club's Lunar New Year Gala, information on the senior prom, and an announcement regarding an important student/parent evening called Loved to Death, which is a presentation taking place this Wednesday evening. We are proud of our students in the Game Changers program, who will be hosting this event with support from our partners at Spark Kindness.
Lastly, this week is Counselor Appreciation week, so I wanted to take the time to mention the amazing work of our guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists. These professionals work tirelessly on behalf of students, often behind the scenes, and we are grateful for all they do!
Warmly,
Josepha Blocker
Principal, Natick High School
2/7 - Deadline for 10th graders to regIster for pre-ACT (Info below.)
2/8 - Lunar New Year Gala, 10 am - 2 pm
2/11 - Town - School Public Forum on FY26 Potential Budget Override
2/12 - Parent/Student Night: "Loved to Death" @ 6:30 pm
2/14 - Deadline for seniors to register for the STAMP test (Info below)
2/14 - Portal closes for grades 8 - 11 course registration @ 8 pm
2/17- 2/21 - Presidents' Day & February Vacation - No School
2/27 - STAMP test for the Seal of Biliteracy (seniors)
3/7 - Spring Athletics Registration Closes @ noon
3/10 - Deadline for Senior Scholarship Applications
3/12 - Early Release for Staff Professional Development @ 11 am
3/12 - School-Town Public Forum on FY26 Potential Budget Override
3/20 - Equity Co-Op Day
3/25 - 10th Grade ELA MCAS, Day 1
3/26 - 10th Grade ELA MCAS, Day 2
3/29 - Pre-ACT administered
3/31 - Eid-al-Fitr - No School
The portal for students in grades 8 through 11 to select their courses for next year is open. This process is NOT first-come-first-served, so students should not rush to input courses.
When the portal opens, their teachers will already have put in course recommendations, that you and your student will be able to view. This portal will be open through Friday, February 14th at 8 pm. We encourage you to look at your student's course recommendations with them and to discuss the course options with them. You may also find it helpful to view our course registration process here.
Students will be meeting with their guidance counselors for individual registration conversations after the portal closes to go over their choices and make any necessary logistical changes.
NHS is hosting the preACT test on Saturday, March 29th from 7:30 AM to (approximately) 12:00 PM.
Taking the PreACT may help some students become more comfortable with taking the ACT (an exam required on some college applications) and may help them understand how they are doing in core subjects.
To sign up, students should:
- Complete this Google Form. Students who have testing accommodations should indicate on the form whether or not they would like to use them during the preACT.
- Bring a check for $35 made out to "NHS Testing" or "Cash" to the Guidance office and submit it to Ms. White or Ms. Slattery by Friday, February 7th.
For more information about practice tools and resources, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Erving at serving@natickps.org.
Seniors have the opportunity to have a special seal, the Seal of Biliteracy, added to their diploma as a recognition of their fluency in a second language. In order to earn the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, students must:
Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English by earning a score of 472 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS,
Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in a world language by attaining a minimum score equivalent to Intermediate-High on an assessment approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and,
Satisfy all other graduation requirements.
Students who have achieved progressed even further in their language skills have an additional opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction. This is available to students who:
Earn a score of 501 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS
Demonstrate a proficiency level of Advanced Low or higher on the approved language assessment, and
Satisfy all other graduation requirements.
We will be administering the STAMP test, which is the DESE-approved test required to show proficiency for the Seal of Biliteracy, on Thursday, February 27th (blue day) starting at 7:30 and ending around 11:00. This exam covers all four language skills (for most languages tested). While AVANT (the company who produces the STAMP test) does add languages to the exam each year, they do not offer an exam in all languages. You have the opportunity to test in your language of study and/or an additional language that you know. Please email Denise Trubiano (dtrubiano@natickps.org), the World Language Department Head, if your additional language is offered through STAMP.
Students who were in Year 5 of a language as juniors took the STAMP test in their language of study last year. These students should reach out to their teacher from last year about their results if they did not receive them. Some students have earned the Seal already and may want to retake all or part of the exam to earn the Seal with Distinction. Other students may want to retake all or part of the exam as another opportunity to earn the Seal.
If you would like to take the STAMP test for the Seal of Biliteracy, please fill out this form by Friday, February 14th. There is a place to include a second testing language. Please reach out with any questions at dtrubiano@natickps.org.
Join us on Wednesday, February 12th at 6:30 pm at Natick High School for an in-person event for parents, caregivers, educators, community members and older high school students.
This program will feature a video regarding the tragic loss of Wayland resident Lauren Astley in 2011. During this interactive evening, Natick High School students will facilitate important conversations for community members, high school students and parents to promote healthy relationships, while recognizing the signs of unhealthy relationships and developing effective intervention skills.
Join us for this student led, free event for parents, 11th and 12th graders - REGISTER HERE
Presented by the Natick High Game Changers with support from Spark Kindness.
Learn more about Lauren's story at the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund website.
Support our school with the "Build-a-Brick" fundraiser! As their National Honor Society lead project, seniors Julia Bloom, Henry Zeman and Matty Gordon are working with Vice Principal, Mr. Galvin, to finish a project started prior to the COVID pandemic: the Build-a-Brick fundraiser. As many of you may have seen, there are engraved bricks that celebrate past graduates lining our walkways. Your brick could join them and support our school! For $100, you can personalize a brick with your name and a message, and have it placed on the walkway outside. Bricks will be sold through February 15, 2025 and will be installed this summer.
Bricks can be purchased directly from Polar Engraving here:
https//polarengraving.com/natickhighschool
Questions on the fundraiser can be directed to Julia, Henry or Matty or to Mr. Galvin.
All proceeds will benefit the Principal's Discretionary Fund, which is used to cover the cost of various initiatives at Natick High School.
All student athletes from MIAA schools, including NHS, MUST complete two free NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) courses before registering for a sport: one general course and one concussion course. These courses are available at the links below.
After completing a course, a student athlete will earn a Completion of Course certificate, which the athlete will need to upload as a part of the registration process. Pleased note that all of the courses are embedded in the registration to make it easier to find them and to upload the certificates of completion.
A few details for multi-sport athletes:
- A multi-sport athlete must only complete the courses one time during the academic year.
- If an athlete has already completed the course after May 2024 the course completion certificate should already populate into the registration and/or the athlete should use their previous course completion certificate to proceed with the registration process.
Your student's physical must have taken place within 13 months to suffice for athletics registration. If you need a new physical, and cannot get an appointment with your child's physician, you may need to consider going to an Urgent Care or Minute Clinic OR have your doctor write a note stating the date of your child's upcoming physical and that your child is "healthy and able to participate in sports". A current physical or doctor's note is necessary to participate in sports. Please note that you must submit a physical, not the summary.
There are scholarship opportunities for all seniors. Some opportunities include scholarships for those going to college or into a trade; others are for students pursuing certificate or vocational programs. Last year, 166 seniors were awarded close to $280,000!
By filling out the application and submitting it, seniors will find out what opportunities they are matched with.
A transcript will be emailed to seniors Wednesday, February 12th. They will need to download it from the email, and then upload it into their applications when prompted. The link to their transcript will only be available for 1 week.
They should not use a transcript without semester 1 senior year grades. Scholarship committees are expecting to see senior year grades. The transcript they will receive by email is the one to use.
The Guidance Department maintains a website full of useful information geared towards each grade. It changes regularly, and highlights some of the information that is shared with students during their guidance seminar. Parents and guardians are encouraged to bookmark the site and review it regularly.
Inside this month's update, you will find information on student course registration for next year.
The next School-Town FY26 Potential Budget Override: Public Forums will be held on 2/11 and 3/12.
Visit the FY26 Potential Budget Override dedicated webpage to keep up to date and stay informed today and throughout the weeks ahead.
Sign-up for alerts and receive updates on meeting notices, financial documents & more.
- Go to: https://www.natickma.gov/list.aspx?ListID=550 to receive regular updates. (Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage.)
Submit "Q&A Tool" questions & receive official responses from Town & NPS staff. (Responses will be published weekly, see the FY26 Potential Budget Override dedicated webpage for details.)
Every year, each public school and school district in Massachusetts receives a report card. Just as your child’s report card shows how they are doing in different subjects, the school’s report card is designed to show families how our school is doing in different areas.
A link to our school’s report card is available at Natick High report card.
To see our district’s report card or to search for other schools’ report cards, visit: reportcards.doe.mass.edu
The report card includes multiple measures of a school’s performance – more than just MCAS scores. It represents a new way of looking at school performance, by providing information on student achievement, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and more.
Report cards are designed to be useful tools for everyone connected to our school. Families can use the information to have meaningful conversations with us about what the school is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Community and education leaders can use the information to better understand how to support students and our school.
You will notice on our report card that we are making significant progress towards our targets. To improve student performance in our school, we are proud to share that our students have made significant progress in both ELA and Math, with our scores increasing from the 2023 to 2024 school year and surpassing the state average. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of our educators, the hard work of our students, and the support of our families.
While we celebrate these gains, we remain committed to ensuring that every student reaches their full potential. We will continue to provide targeted interventions and support for students who are partially meeting or not yet meeting grade-level expectations. Through high-quality instruction, data-driven decision-making, and a strong focus on differentiation, we will work to close learning gaps and support the success of all learners.
As we move forward, our focus remains on fostering a culture of academic excellence, equity, and continuous growth, ensuring that every student at Natick High School receives the support they need to thrive. We encourage you to become involved in helping us improve our school. We see parents as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for your continued support.
If you have questions about our school’s report card, or would like to become involved in school improvement activities, please contact me at jblocker@natickps.org
Five Natick High student musicians successfully auditioned for the Massachusetts Music Educator Association's (MMEA) All-State Festival. The students listed below will be attending the MMEA conference in Worcester and performance in Symphony Hall in Boston at the end of March.
Rachel Atkin, Bassoon
Erik Broberg, Trombone
Justine Lai, Clarinet
Ben Sawatdiphong, French Horn
Ellie Stevens, Bassoon
Congratulations to these talented student musicians and to NHS Wind Ensemble Director Scott Morrill, who prepared them so well!
Congratulations to the fifteen 9th grade student musicians listed below. They successfully auditioned for the MMEA's Junior District Festival!
Choral Musicians: Eliana Aliprantis, George van der Velden
Jazz Band Musicians: Colin Black, Maggie Lee
Concert Band Musicians: Martin Broberg, Jack Chan-Smutko, Nathan Griffin, Austen Harman, Nandita Joshi, Anica Patel, Tim Pollock, Kayvan Reza
Orchestra Musicians: Nick Chan-Smutko, Samay Parekh, Aanya Sikka
Thank you and congratulations to our music department staff, who prepared the students for this opportunity: Jazz Band and Orchestra Teacher & K-12 Music Director Craig Chisholm, Choral Teacher Bethany Spielman and Band Teacher Scott Morrill.
As a member of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) our students compete to achieve membership into the NSDA Honor Society through attaining points and degrees during competition. Each new degree represents hours of learning, practice, and improvement by our students thanks to dedicated coaching by Amanda Parker, Joyce Albert and Sarah Donnelly. This month the following students achieved the following degrees:
Kiely Chiaruttini (Merit), Eitan Cohen (Merit & Honor), Corin D'Orsi (Honor), Noel Daly (Honor), Jonah Greenberg (Merit), Austen Harman (Merit), and Daniel Ibraev (Merit & Honor).
CLASS OF 2025 (12th Grade)
- Advisors: Neil Donohue (ndonohue@natickps.org) and Brenna Keefe (bkeefe@natickps.org)
- Dues Amount: $100
CLASS of 2026 (11th Grade)
- Dues Amount: $100
- To Pay:
- Use THIS LINK or
- Write a check payable to Natick High School with your child's name and "Class of 2026" in the memo line
- Advisors: Rebecca Tramontozzi (rtramontozzi@natickps.org) and Jessica Stefanini (jstefanini@natickps.org)
CLASS of 2027 (10th Grade)
- Dues Amount: $100
- To Pay:
- Use THIS LINK or
- Write a check payable to Natick High School with your child's name and "Class of 2027" in the memo line
- Advisors: Deanna Kanavas-DeRocher (dkanavas-derocher@natickps.org) and Jim Brosnihan (jbrosnihan@natickps.org)
CLASS of 2028 (9th Grade)
- Dues Amount: $150
- To Pay:
- Use THIS LINK or
- Write a check payable to Natick High School with your child's name and "Class of 2028" in the memo line
- Advisors: Emily Diesl (ediesl@natickps.org) and Kelsey Wiliams (kwilliams@natickps.org)
If your family requires financial assistance in paying class dues, please fill out the district's financial assistance forms to qualify.
- Student parking
- School buses
- Food services, including how to order lunch ahead of time
- Purchasing a Yearbook
- Annual notifications from our nurses
- How to find out about, and purchase tickets for, athletic events
- Junior and senior "priv"
- Our cell phone use practices
- How to call your student in absent
- CORI checks for parent volunteers
- Joining the PTSO
