Newfound Regional

April 2016

http://nrhs.sau4.org

We are Newfound!

Principal’s Message March brought us some quirky weather and some culminating events at Newfound Regional High School. The month began with our juniors taking the SAT as our new high stakes state test. Test proctors and the students themselves reported how hard they worked. Many also commented on the value of this test as they can use the scores in applying for college admission. We look forward to receiving the scores as they will give us a baseline in helping us determine where we need to improve our programming. Speaking of juniors and college, our guidance department followed up with a college overview night for juniors and parents outlining the road to college. Also in March, students in grades 9-11 completed their course selections for next year. Schedules will be distributed later this spring. On March 16th, NRHS students and staff hosted an 8th Grade Step Up Night providing tours and demonstrations of what life is like at the high school. Eighth grade students also selected their courses for their freshman year. The night was a huge success with 73 families turning out giving comments that this new format was both informative and welcoming. A special thanks to all of our staff, students,

YEARS

High School Mr. Paul Hoiriis, Principal

parents, and community partners who supported this transition night. In March, we celebrated our winter athletes at our annual Winter Sports Awards night. This was quickly followed by spring sports practices and try outs. We are already looking forward to our April baseball games, softball games, and track meets. Also in March, our Math Team celebrated a first place win in our regional contest with Emma Lagueux receiving honors as top scoring sophomore and Reid Wilkins and Gabe Bauer tying as top scoring freshmen. The team finished its season at the state competition at Plymouth State University with a respectable showing against some highly competitive schools. On March 10th, we had our second Parent Advisory Group meeting. The group grew to 19 parents from four the previous month. The group discussed academics, course selection, co-curriculars, dress code, and student use of technology. The group also talked about ways to bring in more support through posting of events in more central locations. There was also a discussion about honor roll and our Quarter 2 results of 28% of students making the honor roll. Some parents asked how this

compares to other schools. In talking with three other area schools, their honor roll numbers came in between 40-51% for the same quarter. However, here’s the catch – these other schools base honor roll on GPA of 3.0 and above which allows for students to receive grades below A and B. At Newfound, our honor roll is strictly all A’s and B’s. As an experiment, we ran our honor roll for Quarter 2 using the 3.0 standard and we came in at 42%. Great questions, great discussions. I have not set a next date for the Parent Advisory Group yet. I am looking at early May after the April vacation. As we do our self-study for reaccreditation, I am hoping that parents will attend an evening where we can talk about our core values as a school. Parent voice on this topic is valuable and strongly desired. April will be another short month, but packed full of events. In addition to athletics, the arts are alive at Newfound. The month starts with a Jazz Night on April 5th and the community musical production of “The Little Mermaid” on April 15th and 16th. Senior project presentations will wrap up with a distinction night to follow in May. Finally, third quarter report cards will come out mid-month. Happy Spring!

Newfoundations: Experiencing the Other Side In early March you may have heard stories from your children about shadows in the hallways at NRHS. You may have also heard about teachers acting like students and students acting like teachers. So, what is going on? These shadows are part of a new program called Newfoundations. In this shadow program, a teacher and a student are voluntarily paired up. They each spend a day shadowing the other, and participating in their daily duties/class work. Student/teacher combinations are designed to expand the familiarity between the student body and the faculty. This program is designed to inspire culture change at NRHS. There are sometimes communication breakdowns and generational gaps between students and teachers. This is a way to improve empathy. I started this to encourage understanding. I graduated from NRHS in 1991 and now I work here as a paraprofessional and a coach. After participating in Challenge Day last spring and reading an article by Alexis Wiggins at Washingtonpost.com titled “Teacher Spends Two Days as a Student, and is Shocked at What She Learned,” I decided to take action. I met with Mr. Hoiriis and pitched the idea of a shadow program. He was on board. With his guidance and the help of others Newfoundations started to take shape. The pilot program consisted of four pairings of students and teachers (pictured).The first round produced some truly insightful feedback. Kylee and Kiara both thought it was really impressive how teachers keep their composure while dealing with different personalities throughout a day. Mr. Therriault came away with

by Mike LaPlume, Class of ‘91

Kylee MacDonald & Ms. Doolin

Kiara Hakins-Tullar & Ms. DeVost

Josh MacLean & Mr. Therriault

Cody McGee & Mr. White

the feeling that he could be more transparent as a teacher by explaining more reasoning behind certain things in his teaching. Mrs. Doolin was shocked at how difficult it was to transition between 7 different class dynamics throughout the day. Cody and Mrs. DeVost both couldn’t believe how exhausting it was, even though they didn’t feel like they did anything strenuous during the day. Mr. White was very impressed by the passion and the energy of the faculty throughout his day. Josh noticed that Mr. Therriault changed lessons slightly from class to class, Continued on page 4.

High School Years

April 2016 ~ Page 2

Girls Technology Day by Don White

On Tuesday, March 15th, sixteen NRHS girls traveled to NHTI in Concord for the annual Girls Technology Day. The activities on this day encourage young women to pursue careers in science, technology, math, and engineering. Employers in these fields are struggling to find qualified candidates to hire. Currently only 25% of STEM positions are filled by women. The event led off with encouraging words from speakers Governor Maggie Hassan and, highly successful Jeopardy contestant, Kerry Greene. Ms. Greene talked about what it meant to be smart and the different ways girls can embrace their ability to learn and find happiness in academic pursuits. Students then attended three workshops. These workshops ranged from opportunities in nuclear energy, 3-d printing, structural engineering, game design, and information technology. After lunch, girls then had the opportunity to visit booths hosted by colleges and employers. Information was made available on college programs and internship opportunities. Finally, a recorded message from Senator Kelly Ayotte was broadcast to once again encourage the young women in atten- Newfound students (l-r) Makayla Pixley, Victoria Roman, and Kylee dance to consider science, technology, engineering, and math Hanser closely examine the amount of weight that the gumdrop and as viable career options. toothpick base can withhold.

Athletic News

By Athletic Director Peter Cofran

The Spirit team placed 3rd at the AstroBlast competition, missing 2nd place by less than three points. In the Division 4 State competition they finished and qualified for the State Championships The winter athletic awards program was held on March 10th. Recipients of the Bears Booster Club Student Athlete Awards were Dan Holton (boys basketball), Amanda Johnston (girls basketball), Charles Gould (boys skiing), Victoria Roman (girls skiing) and Reece Sharps (spirit). The NHIAA Sportsmanship recipients were Jasmine Patten (varsity girls basketball), Leo Ntourntourekas (varsity boys basketball), Spencer Lacasse (JV boys basketball), Madison Dalphonse (JV girls basketball), Colm Connor (boys skiing), Victoria Roman (girls skiing), and Hayleigh LeTourneau (spirit). The Student Athletic Leadership Team selected Marcus Peterson as the Male Athlete of the Winter and Amanda Johnston the Female Athlete of the Winter. Others nominated included Trevor Robie (boys skiing), Victoria Roman (girls skiing) and Hayleigh LeTourneau 2016 NH Scholar Athletes: Front row - Megan Blais, Allison Blais Back row - Megan Libby, Jasmine Patten, Zac Allen, (spirit). Mac Camara, Cole Eastman Thanks to Coach Larson and members of the varsity baseball team for assisting with the TTCC in their team assessments. Community service by these student athletes shows them that they are part of something bigger than simply being a player on a team. Suzanne Pfister and the soccer team have started fundraising to get power to the scoreboard so it can be used at home athletic events. The baseball and track teams will be fundraising with them as all teams will be able to use the scoreboard. Thanks to Suzanne for taking the lead on this exciting venture. The Spring seasons will start with an away track meet on 4/5. Baseball and softball will begin on 4/13 with the varsity at home and the JV’s away, all against White Mountain. Newfound has again been asked to host the Division 3 State Track Championships on 5/28.

~ ~ ~ EVENING IN PARIS ~ Saturday, May 7th ~ ~ ~ Tickets to the 2016 Junior Senior Prom are now available for purchase.

NH Solo & Ensemble Festival Several musicians from Newfound Regional High School were recently awarded Superior ratings at the New Hampshire State Solo and Ensemble Festival. The annual festival, sponsored by the New Hampshire Music Educators Association, and held this year at Keene State College, provides for adjudication settings for soloists and small groups. The NRHS students who received “A” ratings were; Makayla Pixley, who sang “Something Wonderful” from “The King and I”; Deanna Martin, who performed “Someone Like You” from “Jeckle and Hyde”; Rachel Manita”, who sang “My Funny Valentine”; Megan Gilpatric, who performed “The Last Rose of Summer”; Brianna Gromko, who sang “Someone Like You” from “Jeckle and Hyde; a duet of Sean Holden and Megan Gilpatric, who performed “All I Ask of You” from “Phantom of the Opera”; and Ethan Pruett, on Alto Saxophone, who performed Bach’s “Arioso”. All of the students performed before a Master Teacher, who evaluated and rated the performances.

Thank you to all of our Blood Donors especially our students that gave for the first time!

April 2016 ~ Page 3

High School Years

Math Team The Math Team finished a successful season. With a great core group of 30 team members, they finished first in their division in the Lakes Region Math League, The “mathletes” outscored their closest ​Joshua MacLean, Reid Wilkins, Charles Gould, Mac Camara, competitor by 93 points Alec Dostie, Grace Page, Megan Gebhardt, Zachary Allen, Emma in the overall standings. Lagueux, and Devon Kraemer-Roberts at the 44th State Mathematics Emma Lagueux received Contest held at Plymouth State University March 15th. honors for being the highest scoring sophomore in the division. a number of years in the smallest division. Reid Wilkins and Gabe Bauer also received Newfound placed 7th out of the 16 schools recognition tying for the top scoring freshin Class M. men in the division. Newfound will be graduating eight memThe 44th State Mathematics Contest was bers this year and will be looking towards held on March 15th at PSU. In realigning their large group of juniors to lead the team schools for the state competition, Newfound to another league championship next year. was moved up to Class M after competing

From Our Nurse’s Desk

Barbara Kelly, RN BS ~ [email protected] ~ 744-6006, Ext. 105 Opioid Abuse There are 129 deaths a day in the U.S. from drug overdoses from heroin or prescription pain medications. That is an alarming number. It is more deaths than from car accidents or gun violence per day. Four out of five heroin users began by abusing prescription pain medications. Sadly, NH has the 3rd highest drug related deaths per capita in all of America. The most concentrated affected areas are southern and central NH. How can we be proactive to prevent this trend for continuing? Who is most at risk with our teenage population? We know that 27.2% of our teens report hopelessness and feeling sad. Risk factors include teens who are prescribed opioids for pain relief after athletic injuries and/or post teeth extraction. Speak to your teen’s prescribing physicians. Ask them to just prescribe enough opioids for only 1 or 2 days. Ask the provider to then switch your teen to a specific combination of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen which have proven to be just as effective as opiods for pain relief. If there are any opioid pills that are not used, please dispose of them properly. Put the pills in a plastic bag in wet coffee grounds or kitty litter then dispose of them. You may also check with your doctor, local hospital or police department as they may have prescription drop off lock boxes. The YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) 2015 reports that 7.6% of Grade 9, 11.5% of Grade 10, 16.1% of Gr 11 and 17.9% of Grade 12 high school students have used opioids without having a prescription of their own for them. Let’s work together to keep our teens safe!

Students of the Month

Principal Hoiriis recently announced the Students of the Month for March. 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. Art.....Mackenzie Morton-Kevlin Music.....James Shokal Business.....Bridget Lavin Physical Education.....Emma Lagueux Computers.....Brittney Garcia Science.....Jillian Buchanan English.....Quentin Dancewicz-Helmers Social Studies.....Reece Sharps Math.....Nate Tucker World Language.....Mikalya Royea Senior Project.....Megan Gilpatric Technology Education.....Jake Yeaton Wellness.....Savannah Bony Family & Consumer Science.....Kylee Hanser On-Line Learning.....Matt Libby Spirit and Service Award Abby Buchanan, Michael Doan, Logan Frye, Alex Guyotte, Catherine Roman, Allison Smith, & Haley Young The Spirit & Service Award is also presented to staff member, Mr. Michael LaPlume.

High School Years

April 2016 ~ Page 4

Upcoming Events: April April April April April April April April April

April 15 at 7 pm & 16 at 2 and 7 pm

NEWFOUND REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 150 Newfound Road Bristol, NH 03222

5 - Newfound Jazz Night 6 - Teacher Workshop - no school 8 - Quarter 3 Grades Close 12 - Combined Band (period 5) 14 - Quarter 3 Reports Cards Issued 14 - Combined Chorus (period 2) 15 - The Little Mermaid (7pm) 16 - The Little Mermaid (2 pm & 7pm) 25 through 29 - Spring Vacation

Newfoundations Continued from page 1. class to class, even though it was the same subject matter, mostly to keep it interesting for himself which, in turn, kept HIM more interesting for each class. And everyone agreed that if we all walked a mile in each others shoes, the world would be a better place. Or maybe, we would just all have sore feet. We are looking for new student and teacher candidates to participate in our next round of Newfoundations. Please send your requests into [email protected] or to Mr. Hoiriis, [email protected]. While not everyone that submits a request to be part of Newfoundations will be matched up right away, we will keep your request on file for future rounds of the program. Have a great day, Newfound. GO BEARS!