November 7, 2014 Link to the District Website: www.seekonk.k12.ma.us The purpose of this newsletter is to provide the parents and community with information about programs and events at the high school. If you are no longer interested in receiving this or you have any questions, please email mcgovernm@seekonk.k12.ma.us. SHS Mission Statement All students will achieve their maximum potential by becoming responsible, productive citizens and life-long learners. RESPECT: Earn it, Give it, Live it Important Dates: No school on Tuesday, November 11 - Veterans Day Thursday, November 20 - Parent Conferences from 6:30-8:30 PM Thursday, January 8 College Financing Seminar @ 6:30 PM Thursday, May 7 - Honor Societies - Induction Ceremonies @ 6:30 PM Saturday, May 16 Prom at the Crown Plaza in Warwick from 6:30-10:30 PM Wednesday, June 3 - Senior Class Night @ 7 PM Friday, June 5 - Graduation @ 6:30 PM From Ms. Marcia McGovern Thanks to the bakers and sellers, PAC collected $1340 at the Bake Sale on Election Day. This money will be used to fund scholarships for our students. The members of School Council met on Tuesday to finalize SHS s new vision and core value statement. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) requires that we have a narrative that explains our beliefs about the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the 21 st Century. School Council has been gathering input from all stakeholders through surveys. We will be presenting the vision statement to the School Committee for approval at their December 8 th meeting. No Advisory From Dr. Jones - Assistant Principal Please do not hesitate to contact me via email (jonesc@seekonk.k12.ma.us) or phone (508-336-7272 ext. 120) if you have any questions. I also post information on my blog (http://seekonkap.blogspot.com) and tweet (@SeekonkAp_Jones) as often as possible. Please feel free to follow both for tips and updates. All of these accounts may be accessed at http://about.me/christophersjones. 1
Senior Scholarships- A few more scholarships are posted in the guidance office more information can be found at: Amazon.com/studentscholarship http://facebook.com/gereaganscholarshpis Rhode Island College is holding an Admissions Open House for students interested in learning more about the college and its programs. The event will be on November 8th from 1:00-4:30 in the Murray Center. On December 12, 2014, Jennie Curral, Admissions Counselor at Bristol Community College, will visit Seekonk High for an On the Spot Admissions Day. During this time, seniors can meet one-on-one with her to review their interest in a BCC program, submit their application, and receive an acceptance on the spot (conditional on their successful graduation of course). It is a wonderful, free opportunity. Students must sign up in guidance ahead of time. More information is available in the guidance office. Once again the Seekonk Lions are participating in the Massachusetts Lions Youth Speech Competition. Any student interested in presenting their 5-8 minute original speech on the topic, Respect: Where has it Gone?, should stop by the guidance office to review the student guidelines for the competition. Students interested in participating should give their name to Mrs. Whatley. Please encourage your student to participate. More information is available at www.lionsyouthspeech.org Scholarship opportunities- Elks- most valuable scholarship- applications available at www.elks.org/enf/scholars Youth volunteer scholarship to recognize students who have a passion for volunteering while maintaining high academic achievement application can be found at www.studentscholarships.org/volunteer.php College Presentations Seniors are allowed to sign up for four visits and juniors can sign up for two. They must receive permission from their teacher before attending. The sign-up sheet is in the guidance. Check for updates weekly. DATE TIME COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NOV. 10 TH 9:00 AM UNIVERSITY OF ST. JOSEPH S (CT) NOV. 19 TH 8:00 AM UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD Below is a link to the current list of athletic contests. When visiting the link below, you can always view the latest version of this information and can also use the buttons in the upper right of this report to print, email, or download the information into many different file formats for use in other programs. Click here for the latest schedule. Contact Mrs. McGovern or Mr. Paul Lonczak @ 508-336-7272 X148 or LonczakP@seekonk.k12.ma.us if you have any questions. 2
Please check http://www.southcoastconference.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?g5genie=567&g5button=13&school_id=5 for any updates before heading out to any of the contests. Schedules are subject to change based on weather and field conditions. The Class of 2017 and Key Club's recent cookie and soup fundraiser was a huge success! A huge thank you goes out to everyone who participated! The packages are scheduled to be delivered to the school on Wednesday, November 12th. Please remind your student to pick up their orders from Mrs. Marinucci's room (341) between 1:45 and 2:30. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Almeida at almeidal@seekonk.k12.ma.us. Thank you again for your support! From the School Nurse, Mrs. Rok Sports physicals will be held at 2 PM on Nov. 20 th in Mrs. Rok s office. Any student who is playing a winter sport needs a current physical on file (done after 11/1/13) in order to participate in tryouts. All physicals are good for 13 months (MIAA rules). If you child is playing a sport and his/her physical is expiring during the season, consider coming for the free physical at school if you do not have an appointment with your doctor. Please see Mrs. Rok to see if you have a physical on file or are coming on November 20 th. Please remember to get a FLU SHOT! The flu peaks from December through February. The CDC recommends a flu shot for anyone over the age of 6 months, especially with any chronic condition: asthma, neurological problems, chronic lung disease, heart disease, blood disorders, endocrine problems (diabetes), kidney disorders, liver disorders, metabolic disorders, and weakened immune system. The flu (influenza) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The flu is different from a cold and usually comes on suddenly. People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms: fever (not always present) or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. (CDC: Flu Symptoms & Severity). Prevention is important during flu season. The CDC recommends that you take every day preventative actions to stop the spread of germs: try to avoid close contact with sick people stay home if you are sick (fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze wash your hands often with soap and water avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth germs spread this way Art 3
Images in Black & White is the current exhibition at the Seekonk Public Library and features outstanding art work by students at Seekonk High School. The exhibit will run the entire month of November and includes pen and ink compositions, still life value drawings, linoleum block print self-portraits, scratchboards and ceramics. This is the third exhibit by students in both Mrs. Machado-Cook s and Mrs. Wilbert s classes. Another exhibit is scheduled for The Meadows in spring 2015 and will feature sculpture. We hope you enjoy the exhibit and we welcome your feedback. Set Your Calendars to Sign Up for Parent Teacher Conferences SHS will host Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, November 20, 2014 from 6:30 8:30 PM. This year, SHS will again use the online service called SignUp Genius to manage how parents and teachers schedule conferences to discuss their student s progress and performance. From Friday, November 14 at noon through Monday, November 17 at noon, families will have access to a button on the SHS homepage that will link to the Sign Up Genius online site. Families can then sign up for 5-minute time slots to meet with particular teachers and receive e-mail reminders of their scheduled time slots. Please note that it is not possible to sign up before November 14 in order to be fair to all families. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from last year, SHS is again using this system to better stay on schedule and show respect for everyone's time. If are unable to schedule a convenient time during the evening or feel you would like more time with a teacher, we encourage you to contact your student s teachers directly to schedule an appointment on another day. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Suzanne Larson at (508) 336-7272, ext. 110. From the Social Studies Department Mrs. Yttredahl's Economics class on Monday, November 3rd enjoyed a presentation from Andrew Quinn, a Financial Consultant from Rockland Trust in Seekonk and Deb Faria, the Branch Manager. Since the students are participating in a National Stock Market Game Mr. Quinn was able to bring in real-world experience and knowledge to the simulation. He discussed how world and national events (like the election on Tuesday) can affect the stock market as well as the change in demographics. Helping students understand Investments choices in the long run versus the short run. Students also had an opportunity for a question and answer session with Mr. Quinn. 4
Model UN: Varsity Model UN Students Attend Brown Conference Four Seekonk students have been invited to Brown University this weekend to take part in The Brown University Simulation of the United Nations. It is a 3-day high school Model United Nations conference held on Brown University's campus that hosts over 800 students from schools around the nation and the world. Good luck to seniors Anthony Tusino, Caitlyn Babbidge, and Casey Rutter and Junior Sasha Wilhelm- Hart as they represent Seekonk High! Please share this information with 8 th Grade Parents! You are invited to a QUESTION & ANSWER NIGHT Wednesday, November 19 th in the SHS Library from 6:30-7:30 PM Interested in finding out more about Seekonk High School? Information on Seekonk High School courses, programs, athletics, and clubs will be presented. A tour will be available after the presentation for those who are interested. 5