On August 28th, Drury welcomed 7th graders, new students, and their families to join the Drury faculty and staff for an afternoon BBQ and information session. Families enjoyed a catered BBQ, met their students teachers and support staff, took tours of the building, learned more about extra curricular offerings as well as the academic opportunities that Drury has to offer.

On September 12th, Drury hosted its annual Open House from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, welcoming parents and guardians for an informative and engaging evening. The event began with a brief presentation from Principal Kopala, who shared important updates about Drury’s offerings and plans for the school year. Attendees had the opportunity to hear about programs and initiatives aimed at supporting student success. These programs include our engaging Project Based Learning Courses, advanced learning through Early College on both the Drury and MCLA campuses, and our robust internship program helping students build the necessary skills for college and career.

After the presentation, families moved to the Bucky Bullet Gymnasium, where they were introduced to Drury’s dedicated faculty and staff. Attendees spoke with and asked questions to their students educators and support staff. Attendees also had the chance to purchase Drury apparel, sign up for the School Council, and explore ways to become more involved in the Drury community. Some attendees also enjoyed a baked good from Drury’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) bake sale fundraiser.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the event a success!

On September 20, 2024, Drury High School made history with its first-ever Student Voice Summit, organized by a dedicated group of forty students led by the student leadership Portrait of a Graduate (PoG) Team made up of five dedicated seniors - Ava Cariddi, Jacinta Felix, Lindsy Robare, Madison Saunders, and Jordin Sullivan, in collaboration with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Callahan. This event provided a platform for students to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas about school life, aiming for authentic dialogue and actionable insights.

Throughout the afternoon, students engaged in conversations on a wide range of topics, from trusted adult relationships to what drives them to attend school daily. They openly discussed what makes them feel supported and where they see room for improvement. A consistent theme was the desire for more hands-on learning experiences, with many praising Project-Based Learning (PBL) classes for their engaging, real-world applications. However, they expressed a need for similar approaches across more subjects to make everyday learning more relevant and interactive.

Attendance and motivation were other key issues discussed. Students shared that mental health challenges and a lack of engaging activities were barriers to consistent attendance. They suggested that improving the variety of enrichment activities during Flex time and providing more real-world learning opportunities, such as field trips, could make a significant difference in their desire to attend school.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Callahan and the PoG team are committed to taking these insights forward, ensuring that the students' voices remain at the forefront of ongoing school improvements. By providing a platform for open dialogue, the Student Voice Summit has laid the foundation for a more inclusive, student-centered approach to education at Drury High School. As Drury continues to listen to and learn from its students, the hope is to foster a school environment where every voice is heard and every student feels empowered to contribute to positive change.

A school council is a representative, school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members and, at the secondary level, students, required to be established by each school pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C.

School councils enhance site-based decision making because they expand the participation of the school community in its schools' decision making. The involvement of different groups on the council -- teachers, parents, and non parent community members -- provides the school with different and mutually complementary perspectives on its improvement goals and plans. In addition, by involving people who work in and support the school in the development of the school's improvement plan, the likelihood will increase that the plan will be successfully implemented.

Who is to be on the council?

The legislation specifies that the council is to consist of parents of students attending the school, teachers, and "other persons drawn from such groups or entities as municipal government, business and labor organizations, institutions of higher education, human service agencies or other interested groups, including those from school-age child care programs." Also, for schools containing any of grades nine to twelve, there should be at least one student on the council.

How many members should the council contain?

1. Parents "shall have parity with professional personnel on the school councils." Regardless of the size of the council, the number of parent representatives must be equal to the number of teachers who serve on the council plus the principal.

2. "Not more than fifty percent of the council shall be non-school members." "Non-school members" are defined as members who are "other than parents, teachers, students and staff at the school."

3. The membership of school councils "should be broadly representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of the school building and community."

If you are interested in joining Drury’s School Council, please fill out the form below. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to the event below.

Dear Families and Guardians,

We want to make you aware of a concerning trend circulating on social media, particularly on TikTok, involving students inhaling the fumes of markers, nail polish remover, aerosol deodorant and other common household items (commonly referred to as "huffing" and more recently known as “chroming”) and pretending to pass out. Videos about “chroming” — or inhaling fumes from common household items — are gaining popularity online, especially among minors, according to research presented at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition. This behavior not only poses serious health risks but also violates our school’s Drug and Alcohol Policy.

As outlined in our handbook, it is against both school rules and state law for anyone to possess or use any substances, including inhalants, on school grounds. These behaviors will be addressed as violations of our substance use policies, and students involved in such actions will face serious disciplinary consequences, including potential suspension.

The Dean of Students will handle these cases according to the established disciplinary process. Please talk to your child about the dangers of such behaviors and encourage them to prioritize their health and safety.

Thank you for your continued support.

For reference to our Drug and Alcohol Policy, please consult the school handbook (dhs.napsk12.org) for further details on consequences for substance use violations.

For additional information on this trend, please visit Source: Krishna K, et al. Abstract A009. Presented at: AAP National Conference and Exhibition; Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2024; Orlando.

Students in Drury's P3 Program (Positive Pathways Program) have been involved with the maintenance and harvesting of Drury's garden beds with the help of Jen Munoz, Growing Healthy Gardens Program. The students are enrolled in a STEM PBL course called Green Devils. The students recently read a book called Seedfolk which focuses on the impact of gardening. Students are currently researching the photosynthesis process as they attempt to grow seedlings in their classroom. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to “ go green”.

Students in Ms. Urban's Theater & Arts Management class are getting real life experience in marketing and publicity by helping to manage Drury's social media accounts. If you haven't already, make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts to stay up to date on all things Drury High School!

Facebook: Drury High School North Adams MA

Instagram: druryhighschoolna

Below: Students in Ms. Urban's Theater & Arts Management course.

The "egg drop experiment" is a science demonstration used by physics teacher, Cody Remillard, to teach students Newton's laws of motion and inertia. Students in Mr. Remillard's class were challenged with the task of designing a protective container to drop a raw egg from a pre-determined height without breaking it. Students worked in small groups to design their container to demonstrate understanding of the concept of force distribution and impact absorption, a major principle of physics. Essentially, the goal was to create a structure that can effectively dissipate the force of the impact when the egg hits the ground by spreading it the force out over a longer period of time.

All groups were able to successfully complete the experiment while keeping their egg safe during the first drop with 7 out of 9 groups succeeding on all three drops. Great job to our emerging physicists!

10/14: No School - Indigenous Peoples' Day

10/18: College Fair at BCC

10/18: Senior Class Presents: Family Movie Night

7pm Showtime; doors open at 6:30 - Movie: Halloweentown

10/19: Homecoming Dance 7-10pm

10/22: Picture Retakes

11/4: Quarter 2 Begins

11/5: No School - Teacher Professional Development

11/7: Q1 Reports Cards sent home

11/6 & 11/7: High School ELA MCAS Retakes

11/11: No School - Veteran's Day

11/12: Early Release - Learning Conferences 12-3:30 and 5:30-7

11/12 & 11/13: High School Math MCAS Retakes

11/23 & 11/23: Drury Performing Arts Presents - Clue (see info below)

11/27: Early Release - Thanksgiving Break Begins

11/28 & 11/29: No School - Thanksgiving Recess

12/11: Q2 Progress Reports

12/23 - 11/1: No School - December Break

Note: Homecoming is only open to students in grades 9-12.

Drury Performing Arts in collaboration with the 21st Century After School Program will present Clue Live On Stage on Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd.

It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well… dead. So whodunnit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Colonel Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist!

• Morning Drop off: Drury High School opens the doors to students at 7:25, when teachers arrive. Please do not drop off students prior to 7:25.

• School Pickup: The bus loop closes to cars for caregiver dismissal at 1:45pm. If you are picking up your child early from school, please park in the visitor parking lot and walk up to the main office to dismiss your child. If you are picking up your child for regular dismissal, please wait in visitor parking for your child. By following this protocol, traffic will flow smoothly at dismissal time.
• Dismissals: Per the district dismissal policy, all caregivers must come into the main office to show a photo ID when dismissing their child. This is to ensure students only leave with pre-approved & registered contacts.

• Emergency Contacts: Please update your child's demographic and emergency contact information. This will ensure your child may be dismissed by an approved contact and that you receive all school and district communications. Contact the main office (413) 662-3240 to update your information.

• Student Absences: Whenever possible, students should be in school however, caregivers should provide the school with documentation whenever possible in the following circumstances: medical documentation, court appearances, military obligations, or the equivalent. Note: family vacations, non-emergency family situations, undocumented illness, college trips, and/or truancy will not be recognized as documented absences and will count towards the student's total accrued absences for the year. In addition, when a student is absent, they should log onto Canvas to check for any assignments/work they may have missed.

• Student Computers and Accessing Resources: It is a learning expectation that every student use their school issued Chromebook when they are at Drury. This is their primary way to access the curriculum as we use online resources in almost all of our classes. As such, please remind your child to bring their charged Chromebook to and from school every day.

Principal: Stephanie Kopala

Director of Curriculum & Instruction: Krista Gmeiner

Dean of Students: William Bryce

P3 Coordinator & P3 Dean of Students: Chris Barbarotta

Family Outreach & Court Liaison: Kellie Lahey

Special Education Coordinator 10-13: Michelle Darling

Special Education Coordinator 7-9: Catherine Salvini

Early College Coordinator: Kate Cyr

Guidance Counselor A-K: Jaime Hamilton

Head Guidance Counselor L-Z: Kathy Morgan

Head School Adjustment Counselor: Jess Chittenden

School Adjustment Counselors: Kerry Morrison & Ryan Lucy

School Resource Officer: Detective Stephanie Mirante

School Nurse: Lee Girard

Culture & Climate Team Leader: Don Collingsworth

STEM Team Leader: Angela Quinto

Humanities Team Leader: Allison Bergeron

Arts & Movement Team Leader: Amanda Hartlage