Douglas High School Updates

Hello Families,

Due to the anticipated weather Saturday night, the Snowball Dance will start and end a little earlier. The NEW start time is 6:00pm with a NEW end time of 8:00pm.

Next week, we will be holding our second MyCAP session and our Winter Carnival events. This is a great time had by all involved.

The town is in the process of creating its Master Plan. To gain insight, the committee is looking to survey students here at the high school. Please see the letter linked HERE for more information from the school about this.

For more information, please visit the website or their Facebook page.

https://douglas-ma.gov/705/Master-Plan

https://www.facebook.com/douglasmasterplan

Welcome to the second half of the year. Should you need a hard copy of your report card, please email the Counseling Department at ksearl@douglasps.net.

Check this link for the January Quick Recap: LINK

Graduation is coming up sooner than we all think. As we see our seniors prepare for their departure, we want to be prepared for our celebration day on Friday, May 30th at 5:30pm. The celebration is currently scheduled to be outdoors, weather depending. A final decision for an indoor or outdoor celebration will be made by the end of the school day on Thursday, May 29th should we have inclimate weather.

More updates will be forthcoming, but the date and time are set. We can't wait to celebrate with you.

The Douglas Public Schools are always exploring ways to improve district and school communications with families, please take a moment to let us know your experiences and how you prefer to receive school communications. As experiences may differ from school to school we ask that you fill one per school. All answers will remain anonymous.

LINK

We have partnered with the Presidential Service Award for Community Service. To be eligible for this award, students must submit their hours that are truly community based. Please see the chart below for the qualifying numbers.

If you want a video to describe the policy, click HERE

If you qualify for Buyback, please see one of our Administrators or Guidance Counselors to initiate.

If you are struggling getting your child to school, one of our partners is offering a free workshop. See this link if you are interested. LINK

Come join any of our events with Basketball and Winter Track and Field. Game Schedules: Athletic Calendar

UNIFIED SPORTS is coming to DHS!! See here for information: LINK

Please see the Athletic Handbook for policies and procedures

Sign Up for Winter Sports HERE

Hello All!

The 2025 yearbook is currently for sale. The yearbook staff is working hard at creating a memorable book that captures this year's biggest moments.

Did you know that you can create your own 2 personalized pages in your book for free? Check out the flyer for more details and instructions on how to purchase the book. The cost is $57.10 and the book will be delivered to the school in early July.

Sales run through Mid May - don't delay!

Douglas Public Schools Continues to Partner with Care Solace to Revolutionize Mental Health Care Access: Students, their families, and staff have access to mental health care coordination services at no cost.

Understanding the profound impact of untreated mental health conditions, Douglas Public Schools takes an innovative step forward by partnering with Care Solace, a social purpose organization focused on removing barriers in accessing mental health care. The collaboration provides school district families and staff with access to Care Solace's care coordination services at no cost.

Douglas Public Schools will use Care Solace to support its commitment to ensuring accessible mental health care. This initiative demonstrates the district’s dedication to building a resilient community, where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

As a central hub of care, Care Solace streamlines communication and coordination to connect individuals with the right resources and appropriate level of care. Individuals seeking mental health care now have a trusted companion to rely on.

With a team of more than 500 dedicated Care Companions, Care Solace connects Douglas Public Schools to over 560,000 licensed mental health and substance use treatment providers. Through a human-centered and technology supported approach, these Care Companions navigate the fragmented mental health care system on behalf of individuals, helping them find the perfect fit for their unique needs and insurance requirements. Their multilingual Care Companions are available 24/7/365 ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for the entire community.

"Care Solace is proud to support Douglas Public Schools in prioritizing the well-being of its students, staff and community, " says Chad Castruita, Founder & CEO. "Care Solace exists to calm the chaos that often surrounds mental health crises, providing a supportive and compassionate framework to help individuals regain control of their lives."

To learn more about Care Solace and its services, visit caresolace.org.

We know that mental health challenges are hard for our kids. But, what about you? Do you sometimes feel sadness, despair, and hopelessness? Join parents who "get it" to better understand and accept our grief when someone we love has mental health challenges. Use this link to register for the training session: LINK

Click the picture above to access the application

Information for juniors:

Last week the Counseling Department met with junior History classes to discuss upcoming events such as our annual Junior Job Shadow Day and upcoming SAT's. A link to our presentation can be found here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fzwWYscaZSqvt9LyMYkxQ1mfc9A6GV39kN6NjISmn6k/edit?usp=sharing

Job Shadow Day will take place on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Students must return their permission slips by Friday, February 14, 2025 if they need assistance with finding a placement. If students are making their own placements, they have until Friday, March 14, 2025 to return their permission slips. Students will only receive an excused absence for this day if they turn in their permission slip.

Permission Slip

DHS will be holding the SAT's for juniors on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 during the school day. The cost is $60 and can be paid in cash or check made out to the Town of Douglas. All money must be turned in to Mrs. Searl in the Counseling Office by Friday, March 7, 2025. Any student requiring a fee waiver must see Mrs. Carpenter in the Counseling office prior to this deadline. Additionally the deadline to request accommodations for this exam is February 24, 2025.

Although the vote was passed to eliminate MCAS as a Graduation requirement, State law still dictates that every public school student must take the MCAS exam. As we plan ahead, please be aware of these dates for MCAS.

Retests:

ELA: March 6 & 7

Math: March 11 & 12

Biology: February 4 & 5

Grade 10 ELA:

March 25 (Session 1)

March 26 (Session 2)

Grade 10 Math:

May 20 (Session 1)

May 21 (Session 2)

Grade 9 & 10 Biology:

June 4 (Session 1)

June 5 (Session 2)

MCAS Alt. Deadline:

Thursday, March 28

2024 AP Exam Dates and Fees

**Each student taking an AP course is expected to take the AP exam in the Spring**

Please be mindful of these dates when booking spring vacations!

Monday, May 5, 2025

8:00 am: Biology

12:00 pm: Microeconomics

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

8:00 am: Chemistry

12:oo pm: US Government

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

8:00 am: English Literature and Composition

12:00 pm: Computer Science A

Thursday, May 8, 2025

8:00 am: Statistics

Friday, May 9, 2025

8:00 am: US History

Monday, May 12, 2025

8:00 am: Calculus AB

12:00 pm: Seminar

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

12:00 pm: Environmental Science

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

12:00 pm: English Language and Composition

Thursday, May 15, 2025

8:00 am Spanish Language and Culture

Friday, May 16, 2025

12:00 pm: Psychology

2/8 - Snowball Dance 6:00-8:30pm **NEW TIME

2/11 - MyCAP Day

2/14 - Winter Carnival Day

2/17 - No School (President's Day)

2/17-2/21 - February Break

2/25 - Course Selections Grade 11

2/27 - Course Selections Grade 10

Mon: Day 1

Tues: Day 2

Wed: Day 3

Thu: Day 4

Fri: Day 5