Newfound Regional

High School

Principal’s Message

YEARS

http://nrhs.sau4.org

February 2015

2010 NH Secondary School of Excellence

Well Done, Assistant Principal Hoiriis!

CONGRATULATIONS, MR. HOIRIIS!

Both the academic and social-emotional needs of students must be met on a daily basis. These also must be blended into an atmosphere of regard and respect for everyone in our educational community. There are literally hundreds of details to pay attention to every period, every day. And each detail must be covered to meet the Mission of the school. This takes team work. At the high school our team is fortunate to include the 2015 NH Assistant Principal Of The Year, Mr. Paul Hoiriis! Paul works tirelessly each day. He sweats the details that help students keep body and soul together. Paul is an advocate for their voices. He works each day with staff to help personalize student learning. Students listen to his expectations for their success, and for growing into responsible young adults. We are very proud of Mr. Hoiriis and thrilled with his award! It is an honor to work with such a dedicated professional.

Voice of Democracy Update

After placing first within our school and first at the district level, senior Jesse Austin recently placed third in the state at the finals of the Voice of Democracy Essay Competition in Portsmouth, NH. We are very proud of you, Jesse!

On January 8, 2015, NRHS Assistant Principal Paul Hoiriis was recognized and awarded by the New Hampshire Association of School Principals as the State of New Hampshire’s 2015 Assistant Principal of the Year. In April, he travels to Washington, DC, to meet with our state’s Congressional representatives at an Education Summit as well as competes for the National Assistant Principal of the Year. Mr. Hoiriis stated that this award was “only possible and meaningful because of the great students, staff, and families we have in our district.” Congratulations, Mr. Hoiriis, on receiving this well-deserved award!

Winter Carnival, a 32 year Tradition!

In February 1984, English teacher, Ms. Marti Kuplin, and Science Department Chair, Mr. Timothy Mahurin, wished to break up the long New Hampshire winters by establishing Winter Carnival festivities at the high school. This tradition has been going strong since that time, and 2015 promises to bring more challenges and fun. Now organized by Student Council with the assistance of their advisers and Mr. Rob Messier, there are 85 different events this year. The theme, Newfound in Space, was selected by the students and staff in

November. The snow sculptures, hallway decorations, bulletin boards, and lip syncs must clearly demonstrate the theme. Thursday’s Spirit Day encourages students to dress up according to the theme. Each year the classes compete in Penny Wars to raise money for the Winter Carnival/Timothy Mahurin Memorial Scholarship. Students are asked to bring in their spare change all week to contribute to the cause. The scholarship will be presented to a deserving senior at awards night in June. For more information, check out our website at http://nrhs.sau4.org/

February 2015 ~ Page 2

International Experiences

By Rebecca Turmel, Class of 2015 Rebecca Hartley is NRHS’s newest math teacher. She teaches AP Calculus, Geometry Honors, and Geometry. She attended PSU where she originally majored in meteorology. “I chose this major because I love both math and Ms. Hartley science and meteorology blends them nicely together! One summer I was a math tutor to a high school student and his younger sister and I realized that I would be very sad if I couldn’t teach people. I went back to college, changed my major,” explains Mrs. Hartley. She is currently working on finishing her M. Ed. in Secondary Mathematics. Mrs. Hartley had an interesting childhood as both of her parents were in the military and foreign service. Her first language was actually German. Besides Germany, she also lived in New York and Warsaw, Poland for a few years. “I enjoyed moving around and had a lot of fun going to castles on weekends and different countries, too! When I was on the soccer team in Warsaw there were no other schools to play against in the next town over so we would play other international schools in the area. We would often travel to Vienna and Prague for games!” said Mrs. Hartley. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her three year old daughter, building puzzles, cooking, going for walks, and reading together. She enjoys Newfound’s “small tight knit community where everyone works together.”

High School Years

Athletic News

By Athletic Director Peter Cofran

The girls basketball team is off to an 12-0 start and playing very well. They participated in the Annual Gilford Holiday Tournament, and although they lost both games (by a total of 6 points), the experience the young team gained will pay benefits as they work towards a top 4 finish for the regular season. The tournament starts on 2/24 but they should get a bye and most likely host a game on 2/26 and with a win, host another game on 2/28. The boys basketball team is 0-10, including an overtime loss to Laconia. They also lost both games in the Holiday tournament but are slowly coming together as they have their 3rd head coach in 3 years. The JV girls will be participating in the Annual Franklin JV tournament on 2/21-22 while our JV boys will host their annual tournament on 2/28-3/1. The ski team is low on numbers this year and hosted their annual meet at Ragged Mt., on 1/9. The girls had all 3 team members finish in the top 9. However, to get team points there need to be at least 4 team members. Kari Jackman is our new Spirit coach. She previously had coached at Inter-Lakes. Our 11 person squad is excited to finally start practicing and cheered at our 1/6 boys game. They will be participating in the Annual AstroBlast on 2/21 in preparation for their state competition in early March. We have 6 students being recognized on Feb. 18th at the Capital Center for the Arts, in Concord as NHIAA/NHADA Scholar Athletes. These seniors had to have a B+ average, participate in at least 2 sports for two years, including their senior year and have participated in some community service. This year our recognized seniors include Jesse Austin, Jake Holton, Ben Learned, Hailey McAfee, Carolyn Miller and Austin Tsao. “To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.”– Anatole France

On February 4, NRHS will be holding its annual Poetry Out Loud contest. This recitation contest is sponsored by The Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Students are required to memorize two poems in class and then deliver them in the auditorium to a live audience and a panel of judges. It is designed to helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Semi Formal Dance The NRHS Student Council has been busily planning the second annual Semi Formal Winter Carnival Dance. Scheduled for Saturday, February 7, this year’s dance will once again be held at The Marion Center located at the foot of Newfound Lake. Local restaurants have been asked to help provide the refreshments, and the Firehouse DJs will provide the music. The decorations will also reflect the theme for Winter Carnival 2015, Newfound in Space. Tickets are limited and will be available for purchase during the week of February 2. The cost is $10 per person.

Since this is a Winter Carnival event, the winner will win points for her/his class. Newfound has had a contestant in the state finals for the past two years and is looking forward to another this year.

From Our Nurse’s Desk

By Barbara Kelly, RN BS Winter has arrived! Here are a few reminders to keep your teen healthy and safe. * Please make sure that your teen is dressed appropriately for the cold weather. Exposed skin in cold weather can lead to frostbite.  Frostbite injures the skin, underlying tissues, muscles, bones and may cause infection and permanent nerve damage. * Please encourage your teen to allow for extra traveling time if they are driving so they may arrive here safely.  * A healthy breakfast will help them to focus better to be successful academically.  Remind them also to carry water in a clear bottle to stay hydrated.

February 2015 ~ Page 3

High School Years

Project Promise Retools for the New Year It’s a new year and there are changes in the works for Project Promise. We are excited to offer an incentive for our Homework Club which is offered Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 pm. Now if you participate 6 times during the month you will be able to attend our Ice Cream Sundae party. Our Ski & Snowboard Club is in full swing at Gunstock, and the weather is cooperating to provide us with great sliding conditions. In addition to bus transportation, our skiers get a hot meal of chili every session. You can’t beat the camaraderie and ambience under the lights of a clear starlit NH sky with a view of the lakes from the top of a mountain. This is happening on selected Wednesdays. Fitness Club under the trained eye of

Mr. Laplume has expanded to Thursdays as well as Tuesdays. The Holiday Crafts Club which produced some fabulous creations under Ms. Hutchins tutelage will be reconfigured into a Fashion Arts Club. The Geek Culture Club, conducted by Mr. White, has offered the presentation of cultural material in the past but now includes aspects of electronics such as robotics and computer programming. Project Promise is also excited to welcome a new addition called the Explorer Club, hosted by Ms. Moore, which will be a geographically driven enterprise with the opportunity to actually go to a travel destination. So now is the time to get on the Project Promise Express or get left behind.

Project Promise Student Profile

Alyssa Shaw is a sophomore who volunteers her time for the Project Promise Mentor Club. Alyssa goes to the middle school after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to help the students there who are struggling with their academics. Alyssa was inspired to volunteer because of her sister, Ashlee who is an eighth grader, and has always had some learning issues. “I wanted to get involved with the program because I saw how hard it was for my sister to comprehend certain concepts. Even though she goes to that school, I don’t work with her but I work with students who have similar learning difficulties.” explains Alyssa, “That’s the thing though, I might know the subject and there are many teachers that know their subject matter very well but the trick is to convey it in a manner that the kids will understand. I think that by helping my sister all these years it has taught me different ways to relate to kids who have trouble grasping the idea.” It seems that Alyssa knows what she is talking about as she is taking honor classes and is an A student. Besides being an excellent student and a mentor, Alyssa works as a waitress and works for Ragged Mountain. “I like working with people and helping them out whenever I can,” which probably explains why Alyssa would like to be a physical therapist someday. For now she’s happy helping out in any way she can, “ I would encourage any high school student to consider this program. While it is rewarding, I was surprised at how much I learned from the kids.”

Students of the Month

MATH TEAM Where it’s hip to B ! 2

Busloads of math students and their advisers arrived at Newfound Regional High School from Belmont, Gilford, Inter-Lakes, Kingswood Regional, Laconia, Merrimack Valley, Moultonborough Academy, Plymouth Regional, Sant Bani, and Winnisquam for a math meet held on Wednesday, January14. The eleven schools made up the teams involved in the first math meet of recent memory hosted by Newfound Regional. The 190 students competing were supported by their advisers, but also by our own Sheila Miller, Charles Theriault, Tammy Johnson, and Ruth Whittier who all served as proctors for the event. Additionally, student volunteers, Kim Armstrong and Melissa Lyford, worked to keep the process running smoothly. Not only were the members of the Newfound Regional High School Math Team proud to host such a large event, but they also performed well, placing 2nd in their division. With just one more meet to go, Newfound will most certainly be competing in the NH State Math Competition held annually at Plymouth State University. The date of the state meet is Monday, March 16th. The Math Team would like to extend a warm thank you to all of the administration and staff who supported this venture, showing that we can be a host school again.

Principal O’Malley recently announced the Students of the Month for January. Each month students are selected by the subject area teachers to be recognized for his/her outstanding achievement in the individual academic areas or for promoting a positive school culture. Congratulations to those individuals selected this month. Music....Megan Gilpatric Art....Tessa Governanti Physical Education.....Emma Howe Business.....Kayla Judkins Science....Charles Gould Computers.....Zack Allen Social Studies.....Emma Lagueux English....Kylee MacDonald World Language.....Molly Croxon Wellness.....Charles Gould Technology Education....Lauralye Waring Math.....MacKenzie Brunt Family & Consumer Science..Mary Patten Online Learning....Jesse Austin Spirit and Service Award Karissa Bony, Brandon Caissie, Chris Davis, Nick Dyer, Megan Gilpatric, Tate Miller, Alyssa Shaw The NRHS Spirit and Service Award is also presented to our Guidance Department: Gail Bliss, Monica Jackson, & Shelly Philbrick.

High School Years

February 2015 ~ Page 4

Auditions

Spring School & Community Musical

Thursday February 5th 3:30 Elem Students 4:30 - Middle Sch Students 5:30 HS and Adults Once On This Island will be presented on April 17 & 18.

Upcoming Events: February February February February February February

3 - Poetry Out Loud Contest 5 - Auditions for Once on This Island 7 - Winter Carnival Semi Formal Dance 9 - NASD Board Meeting 10 - Class Meetings 16 - NASD Board Meeting

Winter Carnival Week February 16 - 20 Spirit Dress Up Days: Mon-Celebrate America, Tues-Twin Day, Wed-Western Wear, Thur-Newfound in Space, & Fri-Class Colors! Winter Recess: February 23 through 27

Worth Quoting . . . “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” ~ Harriet Tubman