Natick Redhawks
Your Weekly Update from Natick High School
From the Principal's Desk
Hello Natick High School Caregivers,
During the past two weeks, we have seen the first whisperings of spring and begun term 4. Our spring athletes are finally outside for (most) practices, and some of our classes are able to get outside to work on projects as well. Term 4 always moves the fastest of all the terms! There is so much to anticipate in terms of spring athletics matches, concerts, and school events. There are also some important academic touch points to note as we head into the last part of the year; in mid-May the 10th graders will take their math MCAS, and at the start of June, the 9th graders will take their physics MCAS, both of which are required for graduation. We will also begin the two week period of AP testing one week following break (May 6th through May 17th). We are encouraging students to prepare well for these exams and to get enough sleep the nights before!
As we head into this busy point in the year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your partnership. Adolescence can be tough for kids, and sometimes, even tougher for their parents! We are here to partner with you in support of your child's success and personal growth, and we appreciate your ongoing trust as we work together on behalf of our students. If there is anything on your mind regarding your Natick High student, we invite you to be in touch either with their teacher, with guidance, or with our leadership team. I hope you have a lovely break!
Warmly,
Josepha Blocker
Principal, Natick High School
Calendar for the Next Two Weeks
UPCOMING STUDENT EVENTS
Juniors: Boat Cruise on May 23rd
Seniors Events!
Seniors! Please see this newsletter with all the information that you need on senior events, including graduation speeches, APs, senior final exams, prom, the after prom party, graduation rehearsals, the senior picnic and more!.
A printable version is available here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Cocotree Kids Drive 4/22-5/3 @ NHS
From April 22nd to May 3rd, Natick High is hosting a drive for Cocotree Kids and collecting new children's underwear. Cocotree Kids is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes new underwear to children in need in the MetroWest area. Items can either be donated in person at the NHS lobby or through the Amazon Wishlist QR code.
Bus Registration is Now Open for 2024-2025
We are pleased to offer school bus transportation for the 2024-2025 school year. Registration for the 24-25 school year opened Friday April 5, 2024 with a registration deadline of 6/30/2024. The transportation fee for the 24-25 school year is $200 per student with a family cap of $400.
To register you student, please fill out the online bus registration on the NPS Transportation website. If the 24-25 paper registration form is used, please mail the completed form to the Natick Public Schools Transportation Department at 13 E Central St, for processing. The postmark date will determine the registration date.
After the deadline date of June 30, 2024 bus route assignments will be processed on a first come first served basis until buses are full.
Please read BEFORE registering your students FAQs:
- Any student who rides a yellow bus to school (beside METCO) needs to be registered for the bus
- All students who ride a bus MUST have a bus pass. Bus passes are valid for their designated bus and late bus only
- If you are requesting a free bus pass due to receiving free/reduced lunch you must have completed and been approved for free/reduced lunch to qualify. You may also apply for Financial Assistance and if approved, will receive a free bus pass
- Only students in K-6 who live 2.01 miles or more from their school will receive a free bus pass due to mileage. Please see our Eligible Street Listing
- New Natick students must be registered for the bus within 2 weeks of school registration. If your student is not registered for the bus within the two weeks, the late fee will apply if after the 06/30 deadline
- There will be no refunds given after bus passes are mailed out in early August unless you have moved out of Natick, overpaid or paid when you would have received a free bus pass
- All students, regardless of free bus status, will need to be registered (and payment made if applicable) for the bus prior to 06/30 to avoid the late fee. There will be no exceptions to the late fees
- Please make sure when making a payment that your student is also registered for the bus. Both steps must be complete for your student to be assigned a seat on a bus
LATE FEES will apply to ALL REGISTRATIONS received after 6/30/2024:
Registered by: 06/30 -- NO LATE FEE
Registered from: 07/01-07/31 -- LATE FEE IS $100 per family*
Registered after: 07/31 -- LATE FEE IS $125 per family*
*An assessed late fee and second bus pass fees will not be included when determining the family cap of $400. The $400 family cap is for transportation fees only.
As mandated by State Law, only students in grades K-6 who reside 2.01 miles or greater from their districted school are entitled to free transportation. All other students may register for transportation for a fee if they are in grades 7-12, (regardless of mileage to their assigned school), or are in grades K-6 and live 2 miles or less from their assigned school. For your reference, the Eligible Rider Street Listing is available on the transportation page. We do not offer one-way or partial year passes, or busing to students attending schools outside of their assigned school.
If your child was approved for Free/Reduced lunch for the 23-24 school year, the transportation fee of $200 will be waived at the time of registration. However, if your child no longer qualifies for the Free/Reduced lunch benefit after the 24-25 applications are processed you will be required to pay the transportation fee of $200.
Payment is non-refundable and can be made by check or money order payable to the Natick Public School. Payment can be mailed to or dropped off at the Natick Public Schools, Transportation Office, 13 E. Central Street, Natick, MA 01760.
If you have registered your child online and are mailing their fee, please include their name, grade, and school on the check or money order.
ONLINE PAYMENTS can be made at www.natickps.org.
Bus passes will be mailed early-August to those who have registered by the 6/30 deadline date with balances paid in full.
Bus routes will be posted mid-August on the Natick Public Schools website, www.natickps.org.
Late bus routes for the High School and Middle Schools will be posted at the beginning of September and will start mid-September
Please contact Natick Public Schools Transportation Department if you have any questions.
Natick Summer Programs Are Back! Register Now
Students will enjoy week-long courses for enrichment, exploration, and fun–right here in Natick! The Summer Enrichment and Summer Scholars programs will allow your children to explore their interests and help prevent summer slide. Pre-approved students are welcomed into the Extended School Year (ESY) program and the High School Credit Recovery Program. Our Strength and Conditioning Program provides dynamic exercises and drills from some of the best coaches in the area.
Registration through Active.com is open now. Our popular Summer Enrichment program courses include Cooking, Arts and Crafts, Pondology, Chemistry, Sports, and much more. Students from rising Kindergarteners up through rising 8th graders are grouped by grade level.
NEW THIS YEAR: All participants in Summer Enrichment and Summer Scholars will receive a complete schedule of classes (subject to availability) running from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. every day. Join us this summer! Access our dedicated website for more information.
Looking for financial assistance this summer? Please complete this form prior to registering to get the process started: 2024 Summer Programs Assistance. Thank you!
This Week's Guidance Update
Each week our Guidance Department updates their page with important grade-specific information, including:
- Information for all grades on College and Career Readiness
- Information on specifics for post-secondary planning and other school details.
Dismissing Students Early
A Reminder from Our Main Office Staff
If your student needs to leave school early for a doctor's appointment or other reason, please send them into school with a note that morning. Students should come to the Main Office with the note, and exchange it for a pass, which they can show their teacher to be released from class at the correct time.
We are happy to accept phone calls, but they often take longer to get off the machine when the office is busy; so if it is possible, we would prefer you send students with a note.
REDHAWK PRIDE
3 Ensembles from NHS attended MICCA Festival on 4/6-4/7
On Friday, the NHS Chamber Singers, under the direction of Kate Burns, received a Silver medal in Westborough.
On Saturday, the NHS Concert Band, under the direction of Scott Morrill, received a Gold medal in Hopkinton.
On Saturday, the NHS Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Scott Morrill, received a Gold medal in Hopkinton.
These are outstanding results, and are a direct result of the excellence and dedication of these teachers and all of their students. It also speaks to the excellence of the music teachers at each age level that culminates in this achievement.
Thank you to the Natick Public Schools for their continuous support of our music program.
"Kick Butts" Day
Last Tuesday, Natick High students Nazair Fernandes, Legend Milord, Ethan Nicoleau, Shresta Chakilam, and Elizabeth Olugemo took action on tobacco prevention as part of Kick Butts Day, a day of education. They attended leadership workshops and met with Representative Linsky and Senate President Spilka's offices to share youth voices on issues related to tobacco, vaping, and mental health. Each student shared important perspectives on the vaping culture, as well as some possible solutions to these issues.
Speech and Debate Team
We would like to congratulate the members of our Speech and Debate Team who earned recognition during March through points and degrees in the NSDA Honor Society. Each new degree represents hours of learning, practice, and improvement by students thanks to dedicated coaching.
The following Natick High School degrees were earned at Natick High School during March:
Linna Brikman-Orlovich (Excellence), Skyla Chan (Merit), Kenny Chiu (Excellence), Noel Daly (Merit), Clara Duckworth (Superior Distinction), Ryan Eigenmann (Excellence), Owen Ford (Honor), Jessica Liu (Excellence), Jake Mis (Excellence), Nathan Moldover (Superior Distinction), Sarayu Mudundi (Excellence), Jacob Rothschild (Honor), Olivia Scorpa (Merit), Sarah Singer (Merit)
Redhawks Running the Boston Marathon!
Robin MacBlane (Athletics Dept.) Will Run the Boston Marathon to Raise Money for NHS!
After running the New York, DC and the Chicago marathons, Ms. MacBlane has signed on to run the 2024 Boston Marathon to raise money for Natick High School. Besides working in the Athletic Department, Ms. MacBlane has four children who all attended NHS, and she is looking forward to giving back to the school. She needs to raise at least $4400, with an ultimate goal of hitting $6,000! Please help support her to support NHS!
With the funds she raises, she is hoping to donate:
- $1000 to the Athletic Department
- $1000 to the Music Department
- $400 to the Unified Basketball Team
- Funds to the Natick High School After Prom party
- Create scholarships for
- One student going to a trade school
- The NHS student with the most community service hours
- One student on an IEP attending a four year college
- One student that is playing a D3 sport in college, with a GPA between 2.7 and 3.5
Ms. MacBlane would like to thank NHS PTSO for their support and assistance in making this possible.
Here is the link to donate: https://www.givengain.com/project/robin-raising-funds-for-natick-high-school-parent-teacher-student-organization-72826
Special Olympics Partners with NHS Student Yousef Abdelmessih for Boston Marathon Run!
NHS has a very special relationships with the Special Olympics through our work as a Unified Banner School. Through this partnership, senior Yousef Abdelmessih has been selected to be a part of a duo-rider team in the Boston Marathon, representing Special Olympics MA! He will be pushed all 26.2 miles with a runner from Bank of America.
Huge shout out to NHS educators Joe Guidice and Christine Small, who have been in supporting Yousef and Special Olympics MA to make this a reality!
MESSAGES FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Mental Health Resources for Families and Students
IMPORTANT REMINDERS AND REPOSTS
Help for Teens Who Want to Quit Vaping
We have a number of resources at the high school for students who are struggling with early vape use, including the iDecide program and a partnership with the Natick Service Council. If you or your NHS student would like to know more about these resources, please contact your students' guidance counselor, dean or vice-principal. Those who are trying to stop using on their own may also find that practicing the 6 D's can help.
- Text VapeFreeMass to 88709 to use a free, confidential texting program called This is Quitting.
- Call or text Start My Quit to 855-891-9989 to access trained coaches at My Life, My Quit (www.mylifemyquit.com) who can help.
- Visit teen.smokefree.gov
Clubs at NHS!
Does your student want to join a club?
Check out our clubs list! Students are invited to speak to their guidance counselors if they aren't sure which clubs they want to try. There is something for everyone.
A Message From the Class Officers and Advisors
The class advisors and class officers are busy planning important events for your class. However, in order to begin securing locations and vendors, we need each student to pay their class dues. Class dues are a $100 payment that each student is required to pay before they graduate. These dues help cover expenses and lower the cost of admission for events such as the Senior Prom.
Students should bring a check, made out to the Class of (the year they are expected to graduate), for $100 and deliver it to one of their class advisors. Class Advisors are:
Class of 2024: Anthony Cuoco - ancuoco@natickps.org & Danny Joseph - djoseph@natickps.org
Class of 2025: Neil Donohue - ndonohue@natickps.org & Brenna Keefe - bkeefe@natickps.org
Class of 2026: Emily Cunningham - ecunningham@natickps.org & Becky Tramontozzi - rtramontozzi@natickps.org
Class of 2027: Deanne Kanavas-DeRocher - dkanavas-derocher@natickps.org & Jim Brosnihan - jbrosnihan@natickps.org
Financial support is available for those who qualify. Students can see their guidance counselor or class VP/Dean to seek aid.
Please reach out to your class advisor with any questions.
Does Your Student Need Academic Help?
All Natick High School students have access to Paper Tutoring, which offers 24-hour online support to students in the form of live, one-to-one sessions with knowledgeable tutors. Paper also offers feedback on written submissions. Students can log in to paper using at app.paper.co/login/students. There are also online info sessions available for parents and guardians if you would like to learn more.
Student Parking - Important Reminders
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.
- Students may NOT make their own spots by parking in unlined areas. This creates potential safety issues.
- Students who do not abide by the school parking rules risk disciplinary action including detention, loss of priv. and/or loss of parking privileges.
Obtaining a Parking Permit
To obtain a parking permit, students must register their cars. Students may also obtain a parking permit in the Main Office during school hours.
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.
Parking permits are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Students this Year
Governor Maura Healey's Office decided to institute free breakfast and lunch for all public school students in Massachusetts.
In the NHS Dining Hall, you can pre-order your lunch so it is waiting for you when you arrive!
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!
Calling Your Student in Absent
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.
Reminder for Parents Who Want to Volunteer--CORI Checks
Reminder If you want to volunteer in schools, you must have a CORI check conducted and you must go into the building with identification (driver's 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.
Quick Links
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COVID-19 Updates
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