September 17th, 2023

We had a great first full week of school with a lot of activity within the school. The students have done a nice job with many of our new policies, and we will continue to work with all students to ensure they are meeting the expectations we have set for the school year.

There are two things I want to bring attention to in this week's newsletter. This week we welcomed Dr. Heather DiBlasi to talk with students in grades 9-11. I appreciated Dr. Heather's approach when presenting to our students. We often times expect our students to be perfect when making decisions, but sometimes we don't provide them with the information necessary for them to make appropriate decisions. Dr. Heather spent a lot of time educating students on the contents of many of the unhealthy things students put in their bodies and encouraged them to make healthy choices based on the information they now have. I encourage all families to talk with their student(s) about what they learned and what they took away from the presentation. We will continue to look for ways in which we can support our students in making healthy choices, and we welcome any feedback or ideas moving forward.

This year we are working to highlight more of our outstanding staff and the great work they do. There is a Staff Excellence section of the newsletter where students, staff, or families can nominate an MHS faculty member for excellence in education each month. We will be soliciting names monthly and I encourage families to nominate anyone who has had a positive educational impact from MHS. The link to nominate is below.

I hope you all enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

All students are expected to wear their ID daily in a visible location either around their neck or on their belt/waistline. We recommend students put their ID in their backpacks each afternoon before leaving school so everyone has it available when they return to school the next day.

This past week MHS welcomed Dr. Heather DiBlasi to speak to grades 9, 10, and 11. Each class heard the message of making healthy decisions and she went over the various reasons and dangers associated with teen vaping and substance abuse. Below is a brief description of the presentations she does. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Heather please visit www.drheathertalks.com

On Tuesday, September 19th the School Counseling Department is hosting a

Senior Parent College Night information session. We will discuss the application

process, SCOIR, CommonApp, and financial aid. We hope that you decide to join

us, and we encourage you to bring your senior as well. The event will take place at 6:30 in the MHS Auditorium and doors will open at 6:15. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening.

Send Silence Packing Event

Can you think of a Mansfield High School teacher, coach or staff member that has made a difference for you or is making a difference for our community? Here is your chance to recognize them and let them know!

We invite all staff, students, parents and community members to nominate someone for the Mansfield High School Staff Excellence Award for September. This award is meant to recognize two members of the Mansfield High School staff who provide extraordinary service to the school community. It is a wonderful opportunity to communicate your appreciation for someone that you feel has gone above and beyond.

Award recipients will be announced at the October Faculty Meeting and in the Principal's Newsletter. Your kind words will be shared with all nominees. There is no limit on the number of individuals you may nominate but please submit a separate form for each nominee.

NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 30TH

The nurses would like to remind parents of upcoming 9th and 10th grade health screenings and physical requirements. All screenings are performed in accordance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regulations.

Physicals: All students in grade 10 are mandated by the state to provide an updated physical exam dated within the past year. Physicals may be mailed, sent with your student, faxed to 508-261-7416 or emailed to Christine.Harrison@mansfieldschools.com.

Screening Grade 9: All students in Grade 9 will participate in state mandated scoliosis (postural) screening beginning the first week in October.

Screening Grade 10 screening will begin early November. All students in grade 10 will participate in state mandated Hearing, Vision, BMI & SBIRT screening.

Parents/guardians will be notified in writing if a vision, hearing, or postural screening requires further evaluation. Included in this notification will be a request for a report from your health care provider of their findings so that the nurses are aware of any problems which may interfere with learning and can accommodate any needs that are identified.

Hearing & Vision:

Copy of the screening results from the physician for the current school year.

Postural(scoliosis):

Copy of the screening results from the physician for the current school year or documentation that the student is under care for scoliosis for the current school year.

Height/Weight/BMI

Parent/Guardian must provide a written request to the school nurse that they do not want their student to participate in this program.

SBIRT:

Parent/Guardian must provide a written request to the school nurse that they do not want their student to participate in this program.

For those families who would like to sign up for a senior portrait session, please use the link provided here: Senior Portrait Sign Up

Families will need their 8 digit code that was sent from Prestige earlier this summer, or they can search by student name to register for a date.

The summer mailing to Senior families included a pink sheet titled "2023 Senior Yearbook Deadlines." Please be sure to reference that sheet to ensure your senior portrait and senior blurb information are included in this year's yearbook. The deadline to submit senior portraits is October 31st.

If you or someone you know has flexible hours during the school day and would like to get involved at MHS, please have them reach out to us at the high school. All postings are available on schoolspring.com, and a link to each job description is below. You can also express interest by emailing Mr. Matthew McGuire at matthew.mcguire@mansfieldschools.com

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