Natick Redhawks

Dear Natick High School Families,

It is the time of year when the sunscreen and beach toys start to disappear on the store shelves in favor of school supplies and - dare I say - pumpkins. As an educator, this time of year has always been full of hope and new beginnings, and that is especially true this year as I begin as your principal. Over the last few months, I have been meeting with members of the NHS Leadership Team, members of the NPS Central Office Team, NHS staff members, students and families, and it has been a joy to hear about the many opportunities for learning here, both in and out of the classroom. I have also enjoyed reading your responses to my Entry Plan Survey. If you have not had a chance to fill it out yet, please access it here.

Below you will find important back-to-school information. Please read through it with your high schooler whenever it makes sense for you. (While I eagerly await their arrival August 30th, I recognize that your children may be like mine -savoring the precious last days of summer.) In these last few days, I hope you have an opportunity to do something that brings your high schooler some joy and relaxation. Please give them by best, and tell them that I cannot wait to meet them in the halls of NHS on Wednesday, August 30th, if not before,

Kind Regards,

Josepha Blocker

Principal, Natick High School

On August 21st at 3 pm, the student and parent PowerSchool portals will open for students in grades 9-12 to view their schedules and for 9th graders to see their locker assignments.

Parents and caregivers, when you log into PowerSchool for the first time this year, you will be prompted to fill out the necessary annual forms for each of your students. It is essential that you attend to those forms.

Having trouble accessing your PowerSchool account? Email pssupport@natickps.org for help.

All students, grades 9-12, are expected at school at 7:30 am on Wednesday, August 30th.

11th and 12th graders will report to the auditorium for a Junior-Senior Class Meeting.

9th and 10th graders will report to CDS, as typically scheduled.

All students are expected to engage in this summer reading.

Students taking AP courses should be sure to complete any required summer work as outlined here: NHS AP Summer Work.

Thank you to all students who volunteered to be Mentors and who are serving on the Principal's Advisory Council (PAC). There is a mandatory training on Monday, August 21st from 1 pm - 3 pm to prepare for the 9th grade and New Student Orientation.

Welcome Natick High School Class of 2027 and to ALL new students!

Please join us on August 22nd from 10:30 a.m. - 2:35 p.m. for our annual 9th Grade & New Student Orientation.

Ninth Grade and New Student Orientation activities include opportunities for students to meet peers from both of our incoming middle school classes, bond with their freshman mentor group, tour the building, do team-building/icebreaker activities, experience their class schedule, and meet their upperclass mentors to name a few. It is the best way for students to get acclimated to the school that will shortly become their second home!

If you have not yet signed up, please fill out this form: 9th Grade & New Student Orientation 2023 RSVP Form

We look forward to meeting each of our incoming new students!

Join other METCO students from partnering districts at the Brooke High School (200 American Legion Highway, Boston) on Wednesday, August 23rd from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm for a Back-to-School Ice-Cream Social.

Please join us for this annual free event open to all high school students who live in or attend school in Natick! More info available here.

If you have already set up other personal email accounts to apply for college, you will be able to access your personal email on your school-issued device to continue.

Prior to leaving the school district, we strongly encourage all students to use the Google Takeout feature , as all student-managed accounts are permanently disabled and removed when students graduate or transfer out of the Natick Public Schools.

You can pre-order lunch from the dining hall!

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!

Students need a bus pass to ride the bus, and the bus drivers will be checking passes. In general, students should be at their bus stops 7-10 minutes early. However, as the drivers get acclimated to the routes, students and stops, the buses may run a little late during the first week of school. More information on buses is available here.

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.

Obtaining a Parking Permit

To obtain a parking permit, students must register their cars. There will be two in-person registration days prior to the start of school. Both will take place outside, in front of the building.

• Wednesday, August 23rd - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
• Thursday, August 24th - 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Students may also obtain a parking permit in the Main Office during school hours, starting on Wednesday, August 30th.

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, and will NOT be able to photocopy anything on the days of registration.

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

Welcome! Natick is a community that enjoys a rich tradition of excellence in athletics. Thank you for supporting all of our teams. Please access the following website during any season to view a full slate of our athletic contests:

View the 2023-2024 Natick High School Athletic Schedules.

For the 2023-2024 school year, we are offering office hours for medication drop off and consultations on Monday, August 22nd and August 29th thru September 1st. You may use the following link HERE which takes you to the signup genius to schedule a time slot. If you would like to make an appointment for a different day and time, please send an email to highschoolnurses@natickps.org. Please remember to bring the medication in a pharmacy labeled container along with MD orders and parent permission forms. These forms are located HERE and on the NPS website under Departments: Health Services: Health Guidelines. Please take a moment to review the medication policy.

Parents/Guardians of Grade 11 Students: Please make sure to provide the health office with a recent copy of your student's physical. This needs to be received no later than September 29th. This may be emailed to highschoolnurses@natickps.org or faxed to 508-651-7167.

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

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 (drivers 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