Please check term 3 grades on School Brains on Monday, April 14th.

A reminder to Grade 8 students that we will be taking the Grade 8 English Language Arts Session 2 of the MCAS on Monday, April 14th.

On Wednesday, April 9th, an AP Rally was held with all students taking the AP Exams this spring. The slideshow is below. Thank you to Mrs. Golder and our AP teachers for planning this event!

Last week the African American Club and Tenacity Club visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The students had a great time immersing themselves in the art; the kids especially loved the John Wilson exhibit.

Mr. Leonard and Ms. Surabian led a fantastic interdisciplinary lesson where students asked each other survey questions in Spanish about their favorite childhood activities, and then they represented the data in graphs.

Key Club participated in a weekend long conference in Portland, Maine with some of the almost 200 Key Clubs from all over New England. Students took part in leadership and community service-learning workshops, completed community service projects, and heard from guest speakers from around the country. They gained new ideas, developed their confidence, and made many new friends along the way.

Taunton High School Key Club Secretary Harrison Brown was awarded the "Outstanding Club Secretary". Student Calvinne Dwuye finished her term as Lt Governor and was elected as District Treasurer. Student Maya Aminova finished her term as District Bulletin Editor and was endorsed as the International Trustee Candidate for the New England and Bermuda District and will be running for an international position at the International Convention.

Student Maddox Chaves was installed as the Lt Governor for Division 13 and will be supporting all the clubs in the region of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Last week we held an assembly for seniors, to provide them with important information as we head into the final months before graduation. Here is the slideshow.

The Massachusetts State Police selected Taunton High School to receive at "no cost" the Department of Transportation's Life Savers award winning ThinkFast Interactive teen driver safety program. Seniors attended on Thursday, April 10th. This program is a comprehensive and interactive ed-session on everything that relates to teen drivers in our state. The valuable awareness content consists of Massachusetts traffic safety rules, with a heavy dose of distracted driving messaging. Thank you to Officer Chaves for his coordinating of the event.

Monday 5/19 Theme: Princesses vs. Pirates After school activity: ¨Passing the Torch¨ Bonfire (Juniors & Seniors ONLY) Tuesday 5/20 Theme: Age Day Eighth: Babies Freshmen: Toddlers Sophomores: Teens Junior: Adults Seniors: Senior Citizens After school activity: Dodgeball @ 5:30 in the Parker Gym Wednesday 5/21 Theme: Walking Yearbook Day (wear a white T-shirt for other students to sign) F Block: Senior Pep Rally (Auditorium - Seniors ONLY) 2pm: Popsicles in the senior parking lot After school activity: Senior Sunset on the turf (High School Musical 3) *Sponsored by the Senior Class - Seniors ONLY* Thursday 5/22 Theme: Elementary School Colors Friday 5/23 Theme: Seniors: College & Career; Grades 8-11: Black and Orange Day Junior Prom *Sponsored by the Junior Class*

We are pleased to inform you of Taunton Public Schools participation in the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy for the 2024-2025 school year. The Seal of Biliteracy is for any student who demonstrates proficiency in English and any other language, whether they speak the non-English language at home or learned it at school or in the community. The Seal insignia will be affixed to the diploma and transcript of a student who has been awarded the Seal of Biliteracy. In addition, a symbol designating that a student has earned the Seal of Biliteracy will be noted in the graduation program.

The State Seal of Biliteracy aims to:

(a) Encourage students to study and master languages;

(b) Certify attainment of biliteracy skills;

(c) Recognize the value of language diversity;

(d) Provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills;

(e) Provide universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for attainment of

high-level skills in languages;

(f) Prepare students with skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society; and

(g) Strengthen intergroup communication and honor the multiple cultures and languages in a

community. *

In order to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy, students must:

(a) Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English by satisfying one of the following:

1. Earn a score of 472 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS

or

1. Earn a score of 455-471 on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS AND achieve a minimum score on ACCESS for ELLs of 4.2 overall and 3.9 literacy composite

(b) Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in a world language through one of the following:

1. Attain a minimum score equivalent to Intermediate-High on the state approved assessments, AAPPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) and ALIRA (ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment)

or

1. Earn a score of 4 or higher on the AP (Advanced Placement) Language and Culture exam

or

1. For languages that do not have readily available assessments, complete a portfolio demonstrating Intermediate-High proficiency in speaking, writing, reading, and listening

(c) Complete four consecutive courses of second language study at Taunton High School

(d) Engage in 10 hours of community service that involves using the second language

(e) Satisfy all other graduation requirements

The Seal of Biliteracy with DISTINCTION is available to students who:

(a) Earn a score of 501 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS

(b) Demonstrate a proficiency level of Advanced Low or higher on a Department-approved assessment

We administered ACCESS in January. We administered ELA MCAS in March. The AAPPL and ALIRA exams were administered to first semester world language students in January. On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the AAPPL exam will be administered again to second semester world language students. On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the AAPPL exam will be administered in multiple languages to English Language Learners (ELLs)/Multilingual Learners (MLLs), and to any other THS student who is interested in earning the Seal. On May 15, 2025, the AP Spanish Exam will be administered. Students seeking to earn the Seal through a portfolio assessment must have portfolio scores submitted to the district prior to their graduation date.

If you are interested in earning the State Seal of Biliteracy, please contact Ashley M. Pacheco Guilmette, World Languages Curriculum Supervisor, or Dalila Mendoza, Multilingual Program Director. We look forward to honoring the language expertise and diversity in our district through this initiative.

Ashley M. Pacheco Guilmette

World Languages Supervisor

Taunton Public Schools

apacheco@tauntonschools.org

508-822-5197

Dalila Mendoza

Multilingual Program Director

Taunton Public Schools

dmendoza@tauntonschools.org

508-821-1230

Below are the high school graduation requirements, with any changes highlighted in the visual below.

Core Requirements

English 4 courses

Mathematics 4 courses

Science 3 courses (3 lab-based courses starting with Class of 2030)

Social Studies 3 courses

Wellness 2 courses

World Languages 2 courses of the same language (starting with Class of 2029)

Electives Additional courses within our other academic departments

*Students must also meet the requirements of the competency determination.

Reading is more fun with a friend! Come visit the THS library with a friend this month to check out a pair of books together! We have dozens of pairs ready to go. Participants will receive a free bunny bookmark. Here are just some of the sets we have.

Does your student want help developing or updating their resume and cover letter? The Taunton Area School to Career (TASC) program is here to support them! TASC staff are available by appointment to work one-on-one or in small group sessions with students. These sessions can take place during the school day or after school, depending on your student’s schedule.

During these sessions, students will receive:

• Step-by-step guidance in creating or updating their resume and cover letter
• A thumb drive with resume and cover letter templates to use in the future
• Access to additional services such as mock interviews, job readiness training, and support in finding employment

To schedule an appointment, please contact:
Jim Freyermuth
jfreyermuth@ahsinc.org

Let’s help your student feel confident and career-ready!

The Wrestling team was honored at last week's School Committee meeting for defeating the schools in the city of Taunton!

This past weekend, Taunton Hockey hosted a free youth clinic for Taunton resident and public school students from K-7! A few drills and a lot of fun!

Spring sports are off to a great start! Boys baseball and softball continue to roll with big victories this week!

Source: The Taunton Gazette