Castle Chronicles

For a text version of the Castle Chronicles, please click HERE.

Thank you to all of the parents/guardians and students who joined us on March 5 for parent-teacher conferences. Our next session of parent-teacher conferences is scheduled for MARCH 19 from 1:15 PM - 3:15 PM and 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. It's not too late to schedule a conference! Students are welcome and encouraged to attend conferences as well.

As you know, a strong school-family partnership plays a crucial role in student success, fostering open communication and collaboration to support each child’s growth and achievement. Please click on the photo above to schedule a conference.

We look forward to seeing you!

On March 8, a dedicated group of SMHS LATIN SCHOLARS traveled to Noble and Greenough in Dedham, MA to compete in CERTAMEN, an exciting and fast-paced Latin quiz bowl competition.

Throughout the day, students put their knowledge to the test, answering challenging questions on Latin grammar, mythology, Roman history, and culture. Their hard work, quick thinking, and teamwork were on full display as they competed against other schools in this interscholastic contest,

Overall, it was a fantastic experience for everyone involved—filled with learning, camaraderie, and a shared passion for the classics. Congratulations to all SMHS competitors for their participation and enthusiasm!

Congratulations to PRISHA BAJRACHARYA, FINNEGAN HOCTOR, and HOLDEN AUTY, FIRST PLACE WINNERS of the PLTW COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD for their outstanding APP INVENTOR PROJECT at the Student Industry Connects 2025!

Their innovative work earned them recognition at the PLTW Spring PD Day educator event, where they were chosen as the top winners among a multitude of students. In addition to the prestigious recognition, they received framed certificates and a class banner to celebrate their achievement. Industry professionals were highly impressed with their problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork, highlighting the exceptional quality of the App they created which collects itemized, departmental data on technology resources and tools.

Below are just a few things that the Computer Science Industry Professionals said about Prisha, Finn and Holden's original App:

• “Your project stands out to me because it has a data layer! I might be biased as a data engineer myself, but data is what runs the world, and in this case it's what runs your application! You three went above and beyond integrating with TinyDB, making this a persistent and useful application.”

• “I really enjoyed using the App you created for your project. It was relatively intuitive, and I thought your team did a really good job of designing/implementing a simple UI that controls your database efficiently.”

• “I like that your team decided to experiment with a database for your project. I think that this was a good decision over local storage since it allows your users to add a large amount of materials if they need to. It takes a little more work to get a database working properly with your project, so great job taking that on!!”

• “I thought your implementation for adding new materials was very impressive. You never know what a user might want to track in a database (that is not extremely constrained to a few items), so using a text box to allow the user to customize the database was a good choice.”

SANDWICH SOUL, SMHS's ADVANCED SHOW CHOIR, delivered an incredible concert for the community on Friday night. While most schools may boast one or two standout vocalists, SMHS is blessed with an extraordinary depth of talent—so much so that the performance felt like a professional production. From powerful solos to stunning harmonies, our gifted musicians and singers left the audience in awe.

Congratulations to Melinda Lasit and all the performers for an unforgettable show!

Thanks to the Cape Cod Astronomical Society and their high-tech telescopes, students and families in attendance at the STARGAZING event on March 11 saw a crescent Venus, Jupiter and 4 of its moons, Orion nebula, Crab nebula, Pleiades star cluster and the full moon. The volunteer astronomers also pointed out several constellations and informed the attendees about the stars contained in each constellation. The sky was super clear and it was an enjoyable evening for all!

All Grade 10 students will be taking the English Language Arts (ELA) MCAS test next week on March 25 and March 26. MCAS is an important measure of student learning and progress. Additionally, we want to update you on a recent change in Massachusetts state law regarding the MCAS. The new law no longer requires students to pass the MCAS as a graduation requirement. Instead, it allows alternative pathways for demonstrating competency.

We also want to highlight two scholarship opportunities available to students based on their MCAS performance:

1. The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, which provides tuition assistance at Massachusetts state colleges and universities.
2. The Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery, which offers additional merit-based financial assistance for eligible students.

We encourage all students to take the test seriously and do their best, as strong performance can open doors to valuable opportunities. Please ensure your child is well-rested and prepared for testing.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms. BETH DONAHUE, our MCAS Test Coordinator, at edonahue@sandwich.k12.ma.us.

Eighth grader, ALEX PALOMAR-NELSON, competed among the nation's fastest runners at the New Balance National Indoor Track Meet held in Boston last week. To qualify for the highly competitive 1-mile race, middle school runners must run a sub-5 minute mile.

Congratulations on this remarkable achievement!

Señora Lodge's 7th grade Spanish classes have been participating in a Locura de Marzo (March Madness) contest. Similar to the collegiate basketball event in the U.S., Locura de Marzo is a national event sponsored by Spanish teachers across the country that focuses on hispanic music. The students listen and rate (1-5) an artist, as well as use language to express orally in Spanish how they feel about each canción (song). This is the fifth year that Señora Lodge has held the Locura de Marzo contest in her classes and has found it to be a fun way to integrate culture into her classroom!

AP BIOLOGY STUDENTS recently completed a biotechnology lab where they attempted to insert a jellyfish gene into bacterial DNA. This technique, known as bacterial transformation, is widely used in scientific research to produce new medicines. Students followed a complex procedure to transform bacteria with a gene from jellyfish which causes them to fluoresce or glow. The students were successful in making glowing bacteria!

Senior AVA NYARI, has been hard at work painting a mural in the history department as part of her independent study. Ava's plan is to create an inspirational and informative vintage map featuring historic icons. SMHS is incredibly fortunate to have such talented students like Ava share their passion for art while beautifying our hallways. Please stop by the C wing to check out Ava's amazing art skills!

On Saturday, March 15, members of the SMHS Jazz Band traveled to Sturgis East to perform in exhibition at the ALL CAPE JAZZ FESTIVAL. Three of our students also performed in the auditioned ensembles, with DANIEL FLYNN playing drum in the COMBO, and ANGELINA VARAO and SOFIA DiSAVINO on saxophone in the BIG BAND. All of our students excelled on stage and in the workshops earlier in the day. We are incredibly proud of how they represented SMHS!

Special thanks to music teacher, Mr. ALEXANDER BREAULT, for his leadership.

Fun fact - SMHS had every single grade (7-12) performing on stage!

The next rotation of the Young Artists Gallery at the Sandwich Arts Alliance opens to the public on Tuesday, March 18. SMHS student interns Isabelle Anders and Lee Schauber have been hard at work preparing a beautiful gallery that showcases talented Sandwich artists, grades K-12. The SAA Gallery is open each Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There will also be an Open House & Reception for the artists and their families on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Class of 2025 graduation information and a detailed calendar of events was emailed to all Class of 2025 students and families on Friday, March 7. Please reach out to senior class advisors: Ms. KATHY BOCCALINI and Ms. COLLEEN MACDONALD with questions.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Days and times will be announced soon! The Flag Football League is currently coordinating with other spring sports like lacrosse and baseball to create a schedule that allows students in grades Pre-K to 8 to play multiple sports if they choose. Stay tuned for updates but register now before it's too late!

Parents/guardians of the Class of 2025: There are many scholarship opportunities available for graduating seniors. Please encourage your student to apply for local, regional and national scholarships. Information can be found HERE.

Questions? Please contact Ms. Kathy Lucas, Director of Guidance or Ms. Melissa Murphy in the Guidance Office.

Students who are waiting after school for rides, sports practice or extracurricular clubs to begin are encouraged to wait in the SMHS library. It's a quiet, supervised area where students can get some work done, study, read or meet classmates to collaborate on projects and assignments, etc.

For planning purposes, SMHS's 2025 spring MCAS testing dates are below for your convenience.