Natick Redhawks
Your Weekly Update from Natick High School
Dear Natick High School Caregivers,
This week marked the beginning of Term 2. You will also be able to view your students' Term 1 grades at 3 p.m. today in PowerSchool. (More information on accessing your student's grades is below.) Each term marks a new chance to reflect on what went well and what we want to do differently in the term ahead. Teachers will be working with students on setting new goals for the next steps in their learning as we begin this new term, and we invite you to have similar conversations with your teen at home. With the change in terms, we also switch which grade level has guidance seminar; this term our 9th graders will be meeting once a cycle in small groups with their guidance counselors to learn more about how to make the most out of their high school experience.
There was also a lot to celebrate this week. First, I also want to give a shout out to our fall student athletes and coaches. So many of our varsity teams made the play-offs this season including the Girls' Volleyball Team, the Girls' Field Hockey Team, the Girls' Soccer Team, the Boys' Soccer Team, and the Football Team. Further, some of our student athletes from the Girls' Swim Team made it to Sectionals and States as did members of our Boys' and Girls' Cross Country Teams. We are so proud of their teamwork, spirit and their athleticism. We are looking forward to continuing to watch them find success in the post-season.
We also had thirteen students accepted in the MMEA Eastern District Music Festival in orchestra, concert band, and chorus. These students completed a rigorous audition process with peers across the eastern region of Massachusetts; through this process several of them also qualified for All-State auditions through this process. And finally, NHS was placed on the AP School Honor Roll at the Gold Level by the College Board for both the number of our students who engage in college level work, and for our students' success at demonstrating their learning on the requisite AP exams. It was quite a week to be a Redhawk!
I also wanted to say a work about the long weekend ahead, wherein we celebrate Veterans Day. As the proud daughter of a veteran, I wanted to extend heartfelt gratitude to all the veterans in our community. We are proud of your service and sacrifice and hope you feel honored and celebrated this Monday and always.
Kind Regards,
Josepha Blocker
Principal, Natick High School
11/12 - Math MCAS Retest, Day 1 (Selected 11th and 12th graders)
11/13 - Math MCAS Retest, Day 2 (Selected 11th and 12th graders)
11/19 - Picture Retake Day
11/20 - National Honor Society Induction Ceremony @ 6pm
11/22 - Last Day to Register and Pay for Winter Athletics
11/27 - Early Dismissal for Thanksgiving @ 11 am
11/28 - Thanksgiving Football Game vs. Framingham @ NHS
11/28 - 11/29 - School Closed for Thanksgiving
12/8 - Senior Class Caregivers' Bingo Night Fundraiser @ The Elks (info below)
12/11 - Early Dismissal for Students; Parent-Teacher Conferences
Students and caregivers can access Term 1 grades at 3 pm today through PowerSchool.
Need help accessing PowerSchool?
Email pssupport@natickps.org.
Paradise Photos will be in the Front Lobby from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, 11/19. Students who did not previously have their picture taken and those who would like to retake their picture can stop by prior to CDS, during their lunch block, or during their free time to have their picture taken. Please complete the following form to order pictures: Paradise Photo Order Form
November marks the beginning of the annual Student Council Food Drive for A Place to Turn, Natick's Food Pantry. Natick High School's donation is usually one of the largest that A Place to Turn receives each year. The need this year is great, as nearly one third of all Massachusetts families report facing food insecurity in the last year. So, please bring nonperishable food items to the school lobby. There will be incentives and prizes for those who donate.
The World Languages department will be leading a trip to France over April vacation in 2026!
Those who would like more information about the trip are invited to a virtual meeting/info session on Wednesday, November 20th from 7 pm - 8 pm with a representative from EF Educational Tours. You can RSVP for the info session here:
https://rsvp.eftours.com/uezhxwc, and you will be sent the Zoom link for the meeting.
If thirty or more NHS families RSVP yes for the 11/20 info session, then everyone who registers for the trip that night will be entered into a lottery to win a $300 scholarship!
The trip is "Paris, the Loire and the Riviera." We look forward to seeing you at the info session on Wednesday, November 20th!
The Senior Class Officers and Advisors would like to invite you to a special event: Bingo Night at The Natick Elks Club! The Elks have offered to host this event for caregivers of Natick High School seniors, and will be donating the proceeds to the Class of 2025!
Date: December 8th, 2024 @ 6 pm
Where: Natick Elks Club
Doors will open at 6:00 PM and the first game is at 6:45! Funds raised from ticket purchases will help the Senior Class continue to plan the Prom at the New England Aquarium and the Senior Picnic activities. This event is 21+ and has a maximum capacity of 250 guests so don’t wait to get your tickets! Please see the attached flyer for more information about the event.
Tickets can be purchased using this link or the QR code located on the flyer.
Thank you to the Natick Elks and to YOU for your support of our seniors!
The Guidance Department maintains a website full of useful information geared towards each grade. It changes regularly, and highlights some of the information that is shared with students during their guidance seminar. Parents and guardians are encouraged to bookmark the site and review it regularly.
Webinar @ 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 19th
Interested in learning more about Gap Years? Find out why more students are taking a Gap Year between high school and college, and during their college years. Many young adults want to increase college readiness by trying out new interests, finding internships, traveling, and engaging in other experiences that increase confidence, independence, and maturity. Katherine Stievater, founder of Belmont, MA-based Gap Year Solutions is holding a Gap Year information session covering why students choose to take a Gap Year, and how to plan transformational and purposeful Gap time on any budget. This program is especially geared toward high school juniors and seniors and their parents.
The webinar will take place at 6:30 PM ET on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. You will receive a link with access instructions prior to the webinar.
Here is the link to the registration form for the webinar: https://forms.gle/NWZ5UHBgwLwJsw2A9
Please join us for the Natick High School annual Thanksgiving Day football game vs. Framingham High School. This year we are playing at home.
Please avoid the lines and pre-purchase your ticket here: https://gofan.co/event/1622746?schoolId=MA14657
Gobble, gobble!
Registration Deadline: November 22nd 2024 @ 12pm
Payment Deadline*: November 22nd 2024 @ 12pm
* Payment made after 11/22 at noon will incur a $25 late fee.
To register, each student athlete will need:
- A Completion of Course certificate from the two required online courses for student athletes
- A copy of the student athlete's up-to-date physical
- The athletics fee
First Day of the MIAA Winter Season: December 2, 2024
The MIAA allows winter athletics to begin as of this date. More information will be shared from the Athletics Department in the coming weeks on specific first-day details for each team, including sites and times.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP program are delivering results and broadening access for students. Schools can earn the Honor Roll recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing their school’s college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness. In the 23-24 school year, over a third of the NHS student body (600+ students) engaged in AP coursework, with 90% students scoring of 3 or higher on the exams, the AP benchmark for college readiness.
On Saturday, November 2nd, NHS had 56 students audition for the Eastern District MMEA (Massachusetts Music Educators Association) Festival at Milton High School, and 13 students were accepted including
- Chorus: Caroline Hogan, James Potter, Sammy Rennie
- Orchestra: Rachel Atkin, Ellie Stevens, Lila Yennior
- Concert Band: Erik Broberg, Lucy Chene, James Grant, Justine Lai, Taylor Lin, Ben Sawatdiphong, David Soong
We are proud of every student who chose to audition, whether they made it or not. Walking into a room and playing or singing alone, for someone you don't know, whose job is to judge your performance, is incredibly stressful, and our students made the choice to try to be brave and try their best.
As of today only 58.9% of our students' forms have been completed and submitted. If you have not yet completed your Required Yearly Form (RYF) please do so, so that we have the most accurate information regarding your student(s). These forms allow caregivers the opportunity to update their contact information and invite caregivers to share medical information pertinent to their NHS student. The forms also provide important notices and give caregivers a chance to consent to various school-related activities that may impact their student.
If you have not yet completed your student's yearly forms, here is the link to complete the forms and some important reminders: https://natickps.powerschool.com/public
If you have not yet completed the forms, further instructions were given in this past newsletter.
- Student parking
- School buses
- Food services, including how to order lunch ahead of time
- Purchasing a Yearbook
- Annual notifications from our nurses
- How to find out about, and purchase tickets for, athletic events
- Junior and senior "priv"
- Our cell phone use practices
- How to call your student in absent
- CORI checks for parent volunteers
- Joining the PTSO
