Newsletter
Issue 2 | Volume 2 | September 2016
Important Guidance Deadlines: Pages 7-9 Information on Performing Arts, PSG, and Booster Club initiatives, pages 10-15
INSIDE:
Uxbridge High School 300 Quaker Highway Uxbridge, MA 508-278-8633
We have had a great past few days here at UHS, as we have started our year fairly successfully. Within a couple of days, it was nice to see things running like clockwork, and even with our new schedule, we are pleased to report how smooth the beginning of the school year. One of our challenges as we entered the year was going to be the integration of the new schedule, bringing in a number of new staff members, and making sure that we continue to increase the academic rigor at UHS. We have been quite pleased with the way our new staff members have joined the community; some of our veterans have remarked that the new staff members have seemed like "they have been here all along." We have established some departmental and school goals that will be targeting technology in the classroom on one hand, with increased opportunities for improving writing and literacy. Our target, as always, is to have as many students as possible with options post-high school, be it college, military, or work. On that note, our guidance team, Ms. Hampton and Mr. Barry, have completely overhauled what a guidance curriculum looks like and will be, as they prepare to meet with students in classes for all four grades. We begin with rolling out the senior program this fall, and soon thereafter freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will be involved in a comprehensive learning process and journey that targets student self-awareness and growth. Our plan will be to have all students taking learning styles and career interest assessments while at UHS, and all juniors and sophomores will be taking the PSAT on October 19. We will have more information about this being presented, and all senior parents will see the guidance presentation on October 6, which is also a mandatory meeting for any student AND parent of a senior who wishes to attend the senior class trip later this year. In addition, in the coming weeks and months, we will begin in earnest our self-study process, as we look ahead toward reaccreditation. For that process, we will be enlisting the voice and energy of students and parents, as we want them to contribute to our understanding and reflection of who we are as a high school. Our decennial visit will occur in the calendar year 2018, which means it will be quickly approaching, particularly for our grade 9 and 10 students who will still be here come that evaluation visit. We thank everyone for their assistance and support as we have had such a productive start. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out. We are quite excited and enthusiastic about the year to come - mostly thanks to the energy that our staff and students brought back with them this week. Yours in black and orange, Mr. Rubin & Mr. DiMeglio
September
Off and running!
Issue 1 | Volume 1 | 2015
If your student did not come home on the first day of school with syllabi, fear not. We asked our teachers to spend the first few days introducing students to their discipline, to the classes, and to the activities that they find exciting. We find that students come to school with a bit of excitement and anticipation in their attidudes, and sitting through seven periods of teachers droning on about syllabi and course expectations does nothing but sap some of that energy. Teachers will be distributing course expectations - many may have done so on Day 2 or 3, or even day one, but we know that teachers started the first day, in many cases, with actual teaching.
Opening day Assembly
Opening Week!
We were so proud to welcome Uxbridge resident Mike "Mookie" Wilson to share his story of triumph over adversity and his "miracle" of survival on the first day. He helped our students see the value of positivity and bringing that attitude to school every day. Thanks to Uxbridge Cable for the video footage of the first day:
Uxbridge High School
School council set for 2016-17
Uxbridge High School will soon, after election of its full slate of individuals set for the School Council. The School Council is established as a decision-making body for schools in Massachusetts. Comprised of students, staff, community members, and parents, and chaired by building principals, the organization helps drive the school agenda, designing and approving the school improvement plan, and providing guidance to School Committee in matters such as budget and school critical needs. All School Council meetings are open to the community. Agendas for the monthly meetings will be posted on the school website.
Michael Rubin Principal mrubin@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Sarah Gaudet Teacher Representative sgaudet@uxbridge.k12.ma.us David Lyman Teacher Representative dlyman@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Michael Catalano Teacher Representative mcatalano@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Melissa Fischer Parent Representative fischnitz@gmail.com Mary Sherlock Community Representative literacy321@yahoo.com Susan Bromann Parent Representative susanbromann@yahoo.com Susan Hirtle Parent Representative shirtle@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Andy Kuros Student Representative andy.kuros@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Jack Schreiber Student Representative jack.schreiber@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Amber Hampton Teacher Representative ahampton@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Emily Fernandes Student Representative emily.fernandes@uxbridge.k12.ma.us Emily Luuri Community Representative emilyabbo@hotmail.com Jennifer PIcotte Parent Representative Tonya Allegrazza Parent Representative Jennifer Modica School Committee Liaison jmodica@uxbridge.k12.ma.us
Issue 6 | Volume 4 | 2013
SPARTAN ATHLETICS
Our athletic program has had a great start to the 2016-17 school year. We are excited about the regular season getting underway next week, with most teams having had a chance to have some scrimmages and others having good weather for practice. More than 320 student-athletes are registered for sports in Uxbridge this fall, which is awesome for our student boyd and community! Be sure to stay tuned to the website for any schedule changes or tournament updates, and we hope many people will be able to join us at senior days and postseason!
Some reminders
campus life
DROP-OFF AND PICKUP Clearly, drop-off and pickup times at UHS are the busiest times for our parking lot. With buses pulling in and out, students parking, parents dropping off or picking up, and staff members coming and going, there is a lot of traffic, both on foot and in automobiles. In the morning, at dropoff time, please avoid the road that is closest to the school. If buses have teh stoplights or sign displayed, do not pass them - the fine could be upwards of $500 or $1000, and we have had a number of vehicles passing unloading buses this week. Please drop off students in the staff parking lot. Students who park can park in the student lot; with several more staff members this year, the parking lot closest the building around the island is reserved for faculty, staff, and guests. Students may park in the spaces directly across from the main stadium and the student parking lot, or in the student parking lot. At pickup time, please pull into parking spaces or be closer to the staff parking lot. The buses must be able to park for pickup in the front of the school, and we get occasional reports from bus drivers that they have to drive up on the curb to get around idle vehicles. Thank you for the cooperation.. PICTURE DAY Our school picture day is scheduled for September 7. Packets were sent home with students; if you need anything additional, contact the high school office. OPEN HOUSE, ETC. Mark your calendars for Open House/Meet the Teacher Night, scheduled for September 22 at 6:30 p.m. Parents can meet in the auditorium. The night is an opportunity to learn about your students’ classes, determine the best way to contact teachers, and discuss general curricular goals. NOTE: This is not Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will be held in October. We will have a number of evening events that we hope families can make time for. On October 5, as part of a joint effort with Northbridge High School, School Resource Officer Dan Deveau is coordinating a community event in conjunction with the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and Millennium Health. On October 6, our guidance counselors will be presenting important information to seniors and senior parents, an event that will also coincide with the mandatory information night for any senior interested in attending the senior trip. NOTE: Any senior who is planning on attending the senior trip must attend this evening event with a parent/guardian.
We highlighted a number of school rules and procedures in our meetings with students. Just to keep parents abreast of some of the conversations we are having with students about their responsibilities, please support us with respect to the following: 1. Bullying and harassment: keep an eye on social media, texts, and emails. Don't be afraid to open and look through your child's iPad or cell phone. If you see anything that you find concerning or that could cause a problem at school, let us know. 2. Dress code: We consider school attire to be business appropriate. Undergarments are just that - they should not be visible. We understand the weather is warm. Clothing that leaves too much skin exposed or is see-through is disruptive to the learning environment. Students wearing clothing that displays messages or logos promoting drugs, alcohol, nudity, or weapons will also be asked to change. 3. Attendance: Students cannot learn if they are not here. Being here means being in class for first period at 7:30 a.m. If students are marked absent or tardy, without a call from a parent, a phone call and message will be coming from the high school office. At 11 unexcused absences, a student may lose credit for coursework. We thank you for your cooperation and support. If there are any challenges, please keep us informed.
from the Handbook
Many times throughout the year, we will have students who experience academic, social, or behavioral hiccups. This isn't tragic - it is simply the way adolescents develop, and we truly believe that the best learning comes from these failures. But what can parents do when they feel like their students are underwater, struggling to stay academically afloat, or in need of additional supports? The good news is that our school has a number of supports to assist families and students alike; the disappointment is that often we do not pick up on these challenges until the student is well into the school year. Contact the teacher. Reach out first to ask questions like: where are the problems? What can help? How can I support my student at home? What recommendations can you make? Consult our retake procedures - it is possible that your student could be working with his/her teacher to improve a prior assessment grade. Contact the school counselor. We have a weekly Student Support Team that helps identify solutions, look collaboratively at ways to support students, and share strategies with teachers and other professionals in the building. Sometimes these recommendations are formal, while other times we may just look for anecdotal evidence of successes to help teachers support the students and each other. Our guidance counselors may involve the adjustment counselors. We have two adjustment counselors on staff, Ms. Dwyer and Ms. DeStafeno, both of whom bring specific skills in helping students deal with some emotional or social concerns. Sometimes academic challenges manifest themselves in behavioral ways. Having adjustment counselors support students through a variety of means, including check-in times, referral to outside supports, and communication between outside providers and the schools, often provide contextual information for teachers that help students when times get tough. Contact an administrator. If outreach to a teacher or counselor has not been successful, or you would like to consider what other steps exist, both formal and informal, sometimes brainstorming with an administrator can be helpful, as we look for solutions. Check iParent. Sometimes it is easy to see what the patterns are - is the student just performing poorly on tests or quizzes, or is there an issue with long-term assignments? Ask yourself and your students: do we think the challenge facing the student is the result of external variables (i.e. sports, work, clubs, etc.) or just a matter of refocusing a student's effort? There are many steps we can put in place in advance of special education. We encourage counselors and administrators to collaborate with teachers, to devise regular education plans, to consider behavioral interventions, and to recommend some health or mental health services beyond those that our school directly provides. To that end, we need to have open lines of communication that occur at the moment a struggle starts - not weeks later. It is far more difficult to react! Finally, the natural inclination when a student struggles may be to say, "I think s/he needs an IEP." In some cases, that may be the case. In others, there are steps we can take that support students and guide them toward how they learn best that can be embedded in lieu of formal evaluations and testing. We will never deny a parent their right to refer a student for an evaluation through special education, but we do want to think about the other tactics and processes we have in place that may, ultimately, be just as successful!
Some ideas
for when students struggle
What are some steps parents can take to help?
Some important info
for Seniors
This is a helpful checklist for students to follow as they navigate the senior application process. Decide which colleges to apply to and find their deadlines Create a Common App account Complete Education section & FERPA Waiver Go into Naviance and link your Common App to Naviance Request Letters of Recommendation from Teachers in Naviance Give teachers a copy of your resume and/or senior response form Give counselor your completed senior response form & parent brag sheet Request official test scores be sent to your schools (UHS Code is 222155) www.collegeboard.org for SAT & SAT Subject Tests www.actstudent.org for ACT Write any essays and have them reviewed by someone (i.e. your English teacher) Request transcripts in Naviance (http://connection.naviance.com/uxbridge) Complete and submit college applications Notify your counselor each time you submit an application Complete the FAFSA after January 1st Log application submission and admission decisions in Naviance COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS DETAILS **Please Note: The timeline for these tasks may vary depending on where you are in the process Decide which colleges to apply to and find their deadlines * Make sure all colleges are listed on Naviance under “Colleges I Am Applying To” with the correct application deadlines. * Common App and Naviance - please double check that the list in Naviance is accurate and add non-Common App schools * Check deadlines and only list Early Action as your application deadline IF the college offers Early Action! The only schools that may not have a deadline (denoted by a ‘-’ in your college list) listed are those with rolling admissions, in which case you can talk to your counselor about setting a personal deadline. Create a Common App account and Complete Education section & FERPA Waiver The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted by Congress in order to protect the privacy of students and their parents. FERPA is designed to ensure that students and parents of students may obtain access to the student’s educational records and challenge the content or release of such records to third parties. http://www.naceweb.org/public/ferpa0808.htm * Step 1: Create a Common App account on www.commonapp.org - Click College Search, search college(s) and add to your common application - Click the “Common Application” tab, Click “Education” tab. Students will be required to complete the ENTIRE “Education” portion of their Common App prior to accessing the FERPA page on Common App (Reference FAQ Sheet) - Click My Colleges Tab, click “Recommenders & Ferpa” tab to the left of page - Complete the FERPA Waiver & Authorization at top of page * Step 2: Complete the Common Application Account Matching step on the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page on your Naviance account. You must have a college listed on the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page in order to match your Naviance and Common App accounts. Request Letters of Recommendation from Teachers in Naviance * It is recommended that you ask teachers in person prior to selecting them in Naviance. * Complete TWO weeks before earliest deadline * Sign into your Naviance account * Click on the “Colleges” Tab→“Colleges I’m Applying To” * Under the heading “Teacher Recommendations” click on “Add/Cancel requests” * Select from the drop-down menu the teachers you would like to ask to write your letters of recommendation. Please ask no more than TWO (2) teachers. * Complete “Personal Note to Teacher” box and include earliest deadline * Once you have completed the request click the “Update Requests” button. This sends your teacher an email letting them know that you have formally made this request. Counselor & Teacher Recommendation Request Timeline Application Due Date Submit Required Materials to School Counseling Office by: * November 1 * October 16 * November 15 * October 30 * December 1 * November 15 * December 15 * December 1 * January 1 * December 16 * January 15 * January 4 * February 1 * January 15 * February 15 * January 29 Request official SAT or ACT test scores * You may select four schools to send your scores to for free before your test date. You will need to pay per college if you request the scores after you have tested. Request transcripts in Naviance * Request transcripts. Transcripts will be sent electronically to all colleges that receive online documents. For colleges without the capability to accept electronic documents, we will send all materials through the U.S. Postal Service. * Double Check the admissions decision type (Early, Regular, Rolling) * When viewing College List, click on “Request Transcripts” link in blue above the college list box. Complete and submit college applications * Have someone proofread your application and essay * Submit BEFORE the deadline * Pay the application fee or request a fee waiver if eligible Log application submission and admission decisions in Naviance * Indicate that you have submitted your college application by clicking on “Have you applied?” * Click “I have submitted my application” * Click “Update Applications”
College application checkpoints
Application Due Date
Submit Required Materials to School Counseling Office by:
November 1
October 16
November 15
October 28
December 1
November 14
December 15
January 1
December 16
January 15
January 4
February 1
February 15
January 29
Decide which colleges to apply to and find their deadlines Make sure all colleges are listed on Naviance under “Colleges I Am Applying To” with the correct application deadlines. Common App and Naviance - please double check that the list in Naviance is accurate and add non-Common App schools Check deadlines and only list Early Action as your application deadline IF the college offers Early Action! The only schools that may not have a deadline (denoted by a ‘-’ in your college list) listed are those with rolling admissions, in which case you can talk to your counselor about setting a personal deadline. Create a Common App account and Complete Education section & FERPA Waiver The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted by Congress in order to protect the privacy of students and their parents. FERPA is designed to ensure that students and parents of students may obtain access to the student’s educational records and challenge the content or release of such records to third parties. http://www.naceweb.org/public/ferpa0808.htm Step 1: Create a Common App account on www.commonapp.org Step 2: Complete the Common Application Account Matching step on the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page on your Naviance account. You must have a college listed on the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page in order to match your Naviance and Common App accounts.
Our counselors will be working with the seniors on all of this come the end of the month - stay tuned for more information!
REMEMBER: Senior year gets busy - as you look for letters of reference, ask staff members early and give ample time for those recommendations to be done well. Prioritize the writing of the college essay - if there are topics you can use for multiples schools, that is always a good decision! You may want to have drafts go through multiple people, so set up time to sit with a teacher or counselor to review before clicking send! Do not wait for the last minute. Though some schools have rolling admissions, many have very tight deadlines, and waiting until the 11th hour can possibly mean something does not get to the appropriate school on time!
Some tips for scholarship applications
It's never too early to search for Scholarships. Statistically you will receive one out of every 10 scholarships that you apply for. Tips: 1. Use Search Engines such as fastweb.com or schoolsoup.com 2. Check the UHS Guidance webpage for scholarships. 3. Search Twitter and Google for scholarships. Use keywords such as "grant", "PDF", "left-handed", "skateboarder", "vegetarian", as well as "scholarship." AAA will typically post an annual list of unusual scholarships. 4. Check with your local recreation departments and town website 5. Check with parent/guardian place of business for scholarships 6. Check out CollegeWeekLive.com for monthly scholarship opportunities 7. Don't ever pay to apply for a scholarship. That is a scam.
September Events Event
We have a lot going in September - here are the highlights: 9/6 - Uxbridge Friends of Music Meeting - 7:00 PM - UHS Music Room 9/7 - PARENT MEETING - 6:30 PM - UHS Auditorium 9/8 - 9/15 - Krispy Kreme Sale! 9/9 - UHS Music Department Social - 6:30 PM - 318 West River Road - (raindate - 9/16) 9/10 - Recycle for Music Day - 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM - St. Mary's parking lot - Mendon Street (rain location - McCloskey Gym, Capron Street. 9/17 - PEP BAND - Football vs. Millbury - 12:00 - 4:00 PM 9/25 - MATTRESS SALE - 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9/29 - Music Department Field trip to "Multibands" at UMASS Amherst - 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Friends of Music
Parents for
Safe Graduation
Parents/Guardians /Friends of the Class of 2017, The Parents for Safe Graduation (PSG) event has become a tradition in Uxbridge and is eagerly anticipated each year by our graduating seniors. This all night event allows the class a last celebration as one to reflect on their years together and the good times they have shared. This evening is planned to be a night full of fun. The event provides a safe, supervised, alcohol and drug free alternative for our children. To help support this event, PSG2017 is looking for the following: Cash Donations Basket Items (Wine, Booze, Scratch Tickets, Beach, Chocolate, Italian, Gardening, Coffee, etc…) Yard Sale Items (by October 1st) Gift Cards Or your time. Our Meetings will be held at UHS on the 2nd Monday of each month Fundraisers for 2016-2017 U Driveway painting - $20 (Sept-Nov) PSG Yard Sale /Craft Fair/E-recycling – Sat Oct 1, 2016 – Polish Hall – 8am-1pm Super Bowl Squares (Jan/Feb 2017) Chicken Shoot – Feb 2017 Wine Tasting – March 2017 Comedy Night - TBD Trivia Night -TBD Flocking – (March-May 2017, weather permitting) Golf Tournament – Sunday, May 7, 2017 @ Blissful Meadows UHS 2017 Graduation is Sunday June 4, 2017 2:00 PM in the gymnasium PSG is always looking for new fundraising ideas and folks to help with fundraisers. We are also looking for help decorating the night of the PSG event. Our email address is: uhspsg2017@gmail.com You can also like/follow us on Facebook @ Parents for Safe Graduation - PSG 2017 Please contact us with any questions or if you wish to donate $$, goods or your time.
Issue 3 | Volume 1 | October 2015
The Booster Club is preparing for the Fall season. There are many volunteer opportunities in the next few months. We start off by stocking our concessions. Any donations of items or gift cards is greatly appreciated. Items that are needed are: cases of water, soda, Gatorade/Powerade Candy - air heads, blow-pops, nerds rope, M&M etc. Grill Items - burgers, dogs, buns, cheese, conditments (please email about grill items) Paper goods - napkins, plates, etc. (please email about paper goods) Gift Cards - Hannaford, Walmart, BJ's. We will set up drop off times and pick up can be arranged also. Any donations would be greatly appreciated before September 3. Our first big event is the Soccer Jamboree held on September 3, 2016 at McCloskey Middle School. This event was a huge success last year. There are 9 high schools with boys & girls teams. We are looking for volunteers to help at our concession stand. September 17th is first home football game. Again we will be looking for volunteers to help with concessions. Please send an email to uxbridgeboosterclub@yahoo.com to be added to the email list.This is a great way to keep up with upcoming events. Also Like us on Facebook @ Uxbridge Athletic Boosters.
Support UHS Athletics
Contact the boosters at Uxbridgeboosterclub@yahoo.com with any questions!
Booster Club