SHS Weekly Newsletter
October 19, 2020
Message from the Principal, Lisa Maguire, Ed.D.
This week, students will review information about the clubs and extracurricular activities during an H Block Club fair. Even virtually, extracurricular activities can enrich a student’s high school experience and extend their social circle of peers with similar interests, help extend an area a student is passionate about, or help a student find a new activity to become passionate about. According to crimsoneducation.com, there are many reasons to participate in a club or activity in high school, including:
Research shows that students who participate in extracurricular activities have higher grades
Branching out and trying to activities helps create broader perspectives and world view
Participation in clubs build higher self-esteem and self-confidence
Belonging to a club can help build social connections, and can help build your personal social network
Extracurricular activities give you something fun to do aside from school.
Extracurricular activities help you build “real world” skills, like: Goal setting, Teamwork, Time management, Prioritization, Problem solving, Analytical thinking, Leadership, and Public speaking
Extracurricular participation is a resume builder, and can help when it comes time to request letters of recommendation, because your club advisor might know you in and out outside the classroom.
The start of the new year is a great time to maximize your high school experience and learn and grow as a person. Club experiences are one of the best ways to branch out, get involved in new activities, and experience fun and interesting ways to extend yourself and your learning in the high school experience.
Upcoming Dates:
11/10/20: NHS Induction 5 p.m. for inductees only; CPA (note: date change)
11/12/20: Parent-Teacher Conferences, 6-8 p.m.
From the Assistant Principals Luette (9&10) and Hughes (11&12)
Students cannot email or call themselves in as absent. When a student is going to be absent, we ask that a parent/caregiver email shsattendance@scit.org, which goes to the main office for attendance and school nurse for medical. We do encourage students to stay home when feeling unwell. If a student is expected in the building, but is home sick, they can be marked virtually present if they are able to attend class virtually; they will not be marked absent when accompanied by an email from home. There will be a confirmation email to teachers from the nurse to confirm a student is virtually present so they can show up to class virtually.
Seniors now have the opportunity to eat lunch in the courtyard, which may be accessed in the science hall by Ms. Boyle's classroom, 107. If you choose to eat in the courtyard, please remember that you must maintain six feet of social distancing at all times, and only remove your mask for eating purposes. Underclassmen may ask an adult at lunch to eat in the blue and white tent outside the cafeteria or at the tables next to the tent. Same rules apply.
Business Education
Business Education students in the Investing & Personal Finance class recently learned about the 8th Wonder of the World according to Albert Einstein … the Miracle of Compounding Interest. Specifically, SHS savvy savers learned about the Rule of 72. The Rule of 72 is a formula used to calculate how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest. By dividing 72 by the annual rate of return, students were able to estimate how many years it will take for an initial investment to double in value. For example, students calculated money in a savings account earning 0.5% will take 144 years to double versus approximately 7 years if invested in an S&P 500 Index Fund. Outstanding conversations related to this included; market volatility, diversification, dollar cost averaging as well as other fundamental personal finance concepts. Students are excited to learn more about the Stock Market and apply learning to virtual simulations such as The Stock Market Game which is an online simulation of the global capital markets that engage students in the world of personal finance, investing and economics.
English Language Arts
Whether it’s in class or during Wednesday office hours (or both!), English teachers have been working with seniors on their college essays. These were started at the end of last year, but teachers will continue to offer feedback and guidance through the month of October. If you have any questions, reach out to ELA Department Chair John Scopelleti.
Fine Arts
SHS Band students are learning how to record their musical performance using Band Lab. This platform allows for students to create multiple tracks or to perform with a backing track. Our next goal will be to have students collaborate through recording with other members of the band!
SHS Choir students are practicing virtually using pre-recorded piano accompaniment! Students are able to listen and learn from pre-recorded vocal exemplars of their voice part and then apply what they have learned using piano accompaniment!
Math
https://esp.mit.edu/learn/Splash/index.html
Science
The Science and Engineering teachers have continued to provide students with robust learning experiences while continuing to follow all Covid-19 safety protocols. Some current examples include: Environmental science classes showing the damage that can be done by irresponsible mining practices by attempting to mine the chocolate chips out of cookies, Engineering classes are preparing to 3-d their designs to begin testing, and Ornithology and Astronomy classes have been able to take advantage of the great weather so far to spend as much time outdoors developing skills needed in both disciplines.
Social Studies
The high school history department has added lessons this year that focus on the impact of race, class and gender in history.
- World History 9th graders have analyzed imperialism from perspective of Indigenous peoples as well as Europeans. They also reflected on the importance of women who were instrumental in organizing and participating in the “October Marches” on Versailles which were an important spark to the French Revolution.
- Some 10th graders in United States History I looked at the 2010 census results, then analyzed an infographic to consider the extent to which Congress mirrors America’s diverse population. Other sophomores began the year with a focus on Indigenous Americans in 1491, the year before Columbus’ voyage. They also considered the significance of the role that slavery played in the economic growth of early New England.
- Juniors in US II picked up where US I ended by reviewing the challenges faced by Black Americans following Reconstruction. Then they compared the strengths and weaknesses of the paths to equality that were supported by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois.
Students are interested in the ways that their understanding of the present includes evidence of both change and continuing challenges.
Drama Club Update
The drama program is excited to announce that they will be performing a new adaptation of the movie CLUE! specially written for online performances. The performance is December 4th at 7pm and Virtual tickets will be $12. Tickets should be going on sale beginning of next month on the drama club Facebook and Instagram!
Cast
- Wadsworth - Will Moon
- Yvette - Emily Norton
- Miss Scarlet - Lily Grazioso
- Mrs. Peacock - Joelle Shamatta
- Mrs. White - Kelsey Knapp
- Colonel Mustard - Jackson Parker
- Professor Plum - Frankie Minich
- Mr. Green - Nick Corcione
- The Cook/Singing Telegram Girl - Catherine Stewart
- Mr. Boddy - Anne Grace
- The Motorist/The Unexpected Cop - Scarlett Hickman
- Chief of Police - Derek Allen
Counseling Corner, Ms. Rundle, Director of Counseling Services
SCITUATE HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP CORPORATION SEMIFINALIST AND COMMENDED STUDENTS.
Scituate High School is pleased to announce that Ethan Doty, Class of 2021, has been named a Semifinalist in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship® Program. Ethan is one of 16, 000 seniors world-wide who have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and write an essay. From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. National Merit Scholarships Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2021. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2021 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 353,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
In addition, three Scituate High School seniors are recognized as Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. These students are: Cleo Belber, Evan Halevi, and Jack Wilcox. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although these students will not continue in the 2021 competition for National Merit Scholarship Awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2021 competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)
For more information about the competition, please visit NMSC’s website at www.nationalmerit.org.