Natick Redhawks

Hello Natick High School Caregivers,

Welcome to Semester 2! I have had a lot of informal check-ins with students and teachers about midyear assessments, and the feedback on the pacing of assignments was largely positive. Students felt that they were able to get adequate time to study and adequate time to prepare for projects, essays and other end-of-term assessments. You and your student will be able to see their Semester 1 grades in PowerSchool as of 3 pm today.

We are also beginning the process of course selection for next year. Each grade level is hearing about the process from their guidance counselor, and students will also be speaking with teachers about courses and levels for next year. More information about course selection is below. I encourage you to talk to your student about their future aspirations as it relates to their course selection. Our guidance staff will be doing the same. For some students, this conversation might entail trying out a new elective, for others it means pushing your student to stretch for an AP course, and for others it means considering a manageable balance that allows them to participate in extracurricular activities without undue stress. If you have questions about how to guide your young person through the course selection process, please speak to their guidance counselor.

Below you will also note that there are a number of exciting opportunities coming up for students, including a 9th grade dance, a Lunar New Year Celebration and our student-led play, 13 the Musical. We are also beginning the process of selecting our 11th grade Mentors and 12th grade Mentor Captains for next year's 9th grade Mentoring program. Information on that is also below, as are instructions on applying for Class of 2024 Scholarships.

I hope that you and your student are staying warm and embracing the opportunities that lie in the weeks ahead.

Warmly,

Josepha Blocker

Principal, Natick High School

Students will be able to enter their course selections for next school year using PowerSchool between February 2nd at 3:00 p.m. - February 16th at 8:00 p.m.

• Course Scheduling at Natick High is not a 'first come, first served' process. Rather, it is about having accurate data entered into PowerSchool.
• Students should use their computers to enter their course requests in PowerSchool; the process does not work on a mobile device.
• The system does not allow students to partially enter requests, so students should plan on entering all of their requests at one time. All students are asked to consider their extracurricular/enrichment activities and responsibilities, in order to review their commitments holistically for the coming year, and select a balanced program of study.

Guidance Counselors will be reviewing all students’ course selections, and will be meeting individually with students in late February / early March to discuss their selections. Counselors will meet with ninth graders during their Global Awareness classes, and with tenth graders during their English classes.

More Information will be available on the Guidance Website under "Course Selection."

Three Shows Available!

Friday, January 26th at 7:30 pm

Saturday, January 27th at 1 pm

Sunday, January 28th at 1 pm

More information can be found on the Natick High Theatre Website.

The Mentorship Program is a student-led program that pairs 15 new students with two 11th grade mentors, one 12th grade captain, one teacher during CDS. The Mentorship Program is organized by an Executive Board of Student Officers, the Senior Captains and Faculty Advisor, Anthony Cuoco.

Junior Mentors will 20 receive community service hours. Captains and officers will receive 1.25 credits for a 1 semester course for Mentor Leadership, graded Pass/Fail.

• View the following slideshow for more details and application forms.
• Applicants need to attend 1 of the 2 CDS information sessions listed below.
• Red Day CDS, on Thursday, January 25th in the Auditorium from 7:30 am - 8:10 am
• Blue Day CDS on Tuesday, January 30th in the Auditorium from 7:30 am - 8:10 am

Applications are due on Friday February 9th at 2:30 pm. Please contact Mr. Cuoco (ancuoco@natickps.org) with any questions.

Mentors and 9th Graders @ 9th Grade Orientation, 2023-2024

We are excited that registration for the 2024 Spring Athletics Season is now open. We are offering a traditional slate of Spring athletic opportunities in the sports of Baseball, Girls and Boys Lacrosse, Sailing, Softball, Boys and Girls Tennis, Girls and Boys Track, Ultimate Frisbee, Unified Track, and Boys Volleyball.

There are new required courses: the Arxed Natick Student-Athletic course and the Concussion for Students course. We have updated the courses to make them more time efficient and effective. If you have not taken the NFHS Concussion course since June 1,2023 then you have to do it again. By State Mandate this course has to be done each academic year. All of the courses are embedded in the registration to make it easier to find them and to upload the certificates of completion.

Please note The Hazing & Implicit Bias courses are NO longer part of registration!

OPENED: January 22, 2024 at 12 pm

CLOSES: March 8, 2024

PAYMENTS DUE: March 8, 2024*

* Payments received after March 8, 2024 will incur a $25 late fee.

https://students.arbitersports.com/programs/spring-2024-high-school-registration

Each week our Guidance Department updates their page with important grade-specific information, including:

• Information for all grades on College and Career Readiness
• Information on specifics for post-secondary planning and other school details.

Please help us keep the parking lots safe. During drop off and pick-up, kindly use the circle at the front of the school rather than dropping off or picking up in the faculty lots. This will help all walking students and staff to remain safe.

We would like to congratulate the following members of our Speech and Debate Team. These members have earned recognition through points and degrees in the NSDA Honor Society. Each new degree represents hours of learning, practice, and improvement by your students thanks to dedicated coaching.

The following degrees were earned at Natick High School from 12/01 - 12/31:

Kenny Chiu - Honor
Max Cohen - Merit
Sanjhbati Das - Excellence
Sofia Mancini - Merit
Jake Mis - Honor
Declan Rooney - Merit
Alexandra Tolstoy - Merit

On Saturday 1/20/24, 14 students from the Natick Public Schools Music Department traveled to Shrewsbury and auditioned for the MMEA/NAFME All state festival in March. Of those 14 students, the following were accepted.

Michael Atkin, trumpet

Erik Broberg, trombone

Max Curtis, trumpet

Lee Rush, voice

Benjamin Sawatdiphong, french horn

Michael Scorpa, alto saxophone (jazz)

Ellie Stevens, bassoon

Sofia Zay, voice

These students will perform with the all state band, orchestra, choir, or jazz band on March 22nd and 23rd.

Junior Addison Robie, a three-sport NHS student athlete, is working with the DJ Henry Dream Fund to make sure all Massachusetts kids get to access athletics and extracurriculars regardless of financial status, including kids in Natick. The DJ Henry Dream Fund raises funds to support young people to pay athletic or activity fees and to obtain the necessary equipment needed to participate in extracurricular activities. If you donate through the links that Addison provides below, 25% of the funds raised will go back to Natick families in need.

Please consider donating through one of the ways listed below.

• Venmo account: @djhenrydreamfund. Please put "Addison" in the comments to ensure it's marked for Natick's contributions so we can track the money raised.
• The PayPal link is here, and it is specifically dedicated to Natick funds.
• If a check is preferred, you can contact Addison directly at addison.robie@djdreamfund.org.

If you know a family that would benefit from this fund, please forward this information or click here for further information and the application process.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact Addison directly at Addison.Robie@djdreamfund.org.

This is a great chance for us to bring awareness and support to families in need in the Massachusetts community. Please feel free to share across your networks.

Event Name: Real Self-Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Taking Good Care of Yourself

Event Date: Wednesday, February 14 at 12pm ET

Event Description: SPARK Kindness presents a FREE virtual “lunch and learn” program. In this Q&A “fireside” chat, author and psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin, MD, offers an inclusive and affirming approach to prioritizing your own well-being. Her approach shifts self-care from a task on your “to do” list (that you feel guilty about not achieving) to a values-based practice of setting priorities and taking action. Dr. Lakshmin will share accessible, science-based strategies to help you shift your relationships, nurture yourself, and find ownership over your life. Participant questions will be welcomed before the program. Live ASL Interpretation will be provided.

Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/788550524847?aff=oddtdtcreator

Natick Public Schools has teamed with Massachusetts Partnership for Youth for many years, to support the wellbeing of our students, and the professional development of our staff. They have recently developed a new resource for caregivers that we wanted to share with you: the Parent Solutions Quick Video Library. This digital library contains useful resources that may support you in caring for your teen.

Student Kinslee Starling is this year's Team Captain for the Natick High School Polar Plunge Team. The Polar Plunge is a fundraising effort organized by Special Olympics Massachusetts and benefits the NHS Unified Athletics program. This year's plunge will take place Saturday, February 10, 2024. Anyone in the Natick community, who would like to support NHS Unified Athletics, may join the team.

Location: AMVETS Post 79 at 79 Superior Dr., Natick, MA 01760

Parking: There is parking available at AMVETS Post.
Registration/Check In: 10:00AM | Plunge: 12:00PM

Please note that anyone under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian with them to sign a waiver. Download the form ahead of time here.

If you would like more information, to sign up for The Plunge, or to donate, please visit the team's site here.

We have a number of resources at the high school for students who are struggling with early vape use, including the iDecide program and a partnership with the Natick Service Council. If you or your NHS student would like to know more about these resources, please contact your students' guidance counselor, dean or vice-principal. Those who are trying to stop using on their own may also find that practicing the 6 D's can help.

There are also a number of community resources that support young people trying to stop using vapes and other substances.

• Text VapeFreeMass to 88709 to use a free, confidential texting program called This is Quitting.
• Call or text Start My Quit to 855-891-9989 to access trained coaches at My Life, My Quit (www.mylifemyquit.com) who can help.
• Visit teen.smokefree.gov

We would like to make sure that every senior gets a yearbook, and we need your help!

When you purchase a yearbook for your student, you can also donate towards our Yearbook Angel fund. Our goal for this year is to get the cost of 12 books donated, which is a total monetary donation amount of $600! With your help, you could really make someone's year!

1. If you are interested in purchasing an extra book to donate, go to the NHS store at yearbookforever.com, the same way as when you buy a regular book.
2. Order a basic yearbook with YEARBOOK as the student first name and ANGEL as the student last name. Select STAFF for grade.
3. At check out, use the coupon code ANGEL24 to apply a $25 off coupon to the current price to the book. Currently, the basic yearbook costs $75, which means the book will cost $50 in total at checkout with the coupon applied.
4. If you would still like to donate to this cause, but cannot donate the full $50, you may donate however much you would like via check or cash in an envelope to the front office of the high school. Please make checks out to Natick High School with "Yearbook 2024 - Angel" written on the memo line. Please also write "2024 Yearbook Angel" on the envelope you are delivering it in.
   

5. Our school staff will make sure these books are delivered to the students who are looking to get them.

NOTE 1: There is a limited supply of these coupon codes, so please do not use it for your own book. We will have to refund the purchase of any book that is not an Angel book.

NOTE 2: If anyone is so inclined to donate more than one book on the school site, please make each book a separate order, so you may use the coupon code on each individual order. (If you order more than one book all at once, only $25 will come off the entire order, not each individual book!)

Please reach out to Dean Jason Hoye (jhoye@natickps.org) or Yearbook Advisor Jonathan Fleming (fleming@natickps.org) with questions.

Food delivery to students from outside private vendors during school hours or during school sponsored after-school activities will not be permitted on school grounds. Please note that this does not apply to faculty/staff ordering food for teams/clubs after school for students. Only faculty/staff members will be allowed to interact with delivery personnel.

Check out our clubs list! Students are invited to speak to their guidance counselors if they aren't sure which clubs they want to try. There is something for everyone.

The class advisors and class officers are busy planning important events for your class. However, in order to begin securing locations and vendors, we need each student to pay their class dues. Class dues are a $100 payment that each student is required to pay before they graduate. These dues help cover expenses and lower the cost of admission for events such as the Senior Prom.

Students should bring a check, made out to the Class of (the year they are expected to graduate), for $100 and deliver it to one of their class advisors. Class Advisors are:

Class of 2024: Anthony Cuoco - ancuoco@natickps.org & Danny Joseph - djoseph@natickps.org

Class of 2025: Neil Donohue - ndonohue@natickps.org & Brenna Keefe - bkeefe@natickps.org

Class of 2026: Emily Cunningham - ecunningham@natickps.org & Becky Tramontozzi - rtramontozzi@natickps.org

Class of 2027: Deanne Kanavas-DeRocher - dkanavas-derocher@natickps.org & Jim Brosnihan - jbrosnihan@natickps.org

Financial support is available for those who qualify. Students can see their guidance counselor or class VP/Dean to seek aid.

Please reach out to your class advisor with any questions.

All Natick High School students have access to Paper Tutoring, which offers 24-hour online support to students in the form of live, one-to-one sessions with knowledgeable tutors. Paper also offers feedback on written submissions. Students can log in to paper using at app.paper.co/login/students. There are also online info sessions available for parents and guardians if you would like to learn more.

Parents/Guardians of Grade 11 and Grade 12 Students: if your student is age 16 or over, per Massachusetts State requirements, the Health Office must have documentation of your student's Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY) vaccination on file. If you have already provided documentation (i.e., included in a recent physical), please disregard. This documentation may be emailed to highschoolnurses@natickps.org or faxed to 508-651-7167.

Additionally, we would like to stress the importance of completing the online PowerSchool Emergency Forms for your student(s). These must be completed each school year. The nurses use these forms to access important health information and contact numbers. These forms also include permission to administer Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen; please note that these medications will not be given without a signature from a parent/guardian.

Thank you,

Your NHS Nurses,

Nicole Marcinkiewicz, RN, Carrie Harding, RN, Kelly Keene, RN

Juniors and Seniors are permitted to park on campus, with a parking permit decal displayed on their vehicles, in the following locations:

• Seniors are permitted to park in the Memorial Football Lot or the Mahan Baseball Field Lot.
• Juniors are permitted to park only in the Mahan Baseball Field lot.
• No students are permitted to park in the Faculty or Visitor lots without individual approval from administration.
• Students may NOT make their own spots by parking in unlined areas. This creates potential safety issues.
• Students who do not abide by the school parking rules risk disciplinary action including detention, loss of priv. and/or loss of parking privileges.

Obtaining a Parking Permit

To obtain a parking permit, students must register their cars. Students may also obtain a parking permit in the Main Office during school hours.

Students must bring photocopies of the following to obtain a permit:

• A copy of their driver's license*
• A copy of the car's registration*
• This form filled out an signed by a parent/guardian and the student
• $200 - Cash or check accepted. (Checks should be made out to Natick Public Schools.)

* Please note that we will be KEEPING these photocopies for our records.

Parking permits are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

Governor Maura Healey's Office decided to institute free breakfast and lunch for all public school students in Massachusetts.

In the NHS Dining Hall, you can pre-order your lunch so it is waiting for you when you arrive!

With Nutrislice, students can pre-order their lunches, so they are ready when they get to lunch. Just order through this link by 9:30 a.m. each day, and lunch will be ready to pick up in the far left line near the salad and sandwich area. Students' names will be on the receipt attached to their orders. Just grab and go!

If your NHS student will be absent, please call the absence line at 508-647-6601 before 10 am on the day of your student's absence. Please note that if we do not receive the necessary call from you, you will receive a call from us! Please see the handbook for other attendance related information regarding excused absences.

Thank you to our PTSO for their ongoing support to our students and faculty. Our PTSO is looking for more volunteers to assist them with their work for the school year. You can learn more about the NHS PTSO, and how to get involved by visiting their website. Thank you in advance for your help!

You can subscribe to their monthly newsletter at the top of their webpage.

PTSO Website and Information

Reminder If you want to volunteer in schools, you must have a CORI check conducted and you must go into the building with identification (driver's license or passport) to do this. Click here for description of what a CORI check is and does. Without a CORI check, you cannot volunteer in the school. Here is the form to fill out for a CORI.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5