Weekly Cougar News
ConVal High School Happenings - October 28, 2022
Message from Principal McKillop
Good Afternoon, Cougar Nation!
Today marks the end of quarter one; it is hard to believe that we are a quarter of the way through our academic school year already. Please be on the lookout, early next week, for a memo from School Counseling that will provide more information about accessing the PowerSchool portal.
Our exchange students from Austria will be leaving us on Monday. We have been so fortunate to have them visit with us and other schools in our district for the past two weeks. In just this short time, they have become a part of our ConVal community. Since 1996, we have had a partnership with the Akademisches Gymnasium in Salzburg, and some of our students will have the opportunity to visit Austria in the future. Thank you Frau Hodgdon, Frau Concannon, host families, teachers, students and staff who all helped facilitate this wonderful experience.
Best of luck to our Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer teams that have reached the Quarterfinals in the NHIAA state tournament. Information on when and where the games are this weekend is listed below in the Athletics and Co-Curricular section.
I look forward to participating in the 5K run tomorrow at Pierce School in Bennington. The "Dash for the Playground" proceeds will go towards a new playground for students. I look forward to seeing some members of our community in the morning!
Have a wonderful weekend, and GO COUGARS!
Best,
Heather
Table of Contents
Upcoming Dates and Events
Ramsden Accepted Into Harvard Program
ConVal Alum Wins Aerobatic Flight Championship
Community Forum November 10
Classroom Snapshots
ConVal Students Attend CTE Day At KSC
School Counseling News
Athletic, Co-Curricular and Club Updates
And Then There Were None ... by Agatha Christie (tickets online)
ConVal Holiday Craft Fair
Notes from the Nurse
Crisis Support
Fund Raiser for Class of 2023 - Poinsettias
Snowball Winter Formal
Looking for Substitutes, Paraprofessionals
School Bus Drivers
Important Links
Upcoming Important Dates and Events
- October 28, 2022 End of Quarter 1
- November 3, 4, and 5 And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- November 4, 2022 Teacherfest - Educators Rising Trip to Plymouth State University (all day)
- November 8, 2022 NO SCHOOL: PD DAY
- November 10, 2022 Community Forum in the LHT
- November 11, 2022 NO SCHOOL: Veterans Day
- November 14, 2022 Winter Sports Begin
- November 16, 2022 Hodgdon Trip to UNH
Ramsden Accepted Into Harvard Program
Congratulations to Gabrielle “Gabby” Ramsden who has been accepted into the Academies at Harvard University! Gabby will be attending the American Politics Academy where she will learn more about policy making, campaigns and elections, political debates, international relations, game theory and political theory, among numerous other topics. She will be attending the seminars in person, beginning the first weekend of November. Gabby was nominated unanimously by a number of members of the ConVal High School Social Studies department, based on her efforts and engagement in courses of American Government and Economics, AP World, and AP U.S. History. Gabby is also an active participant in ConVal’s Youth in Government Club.
ConVal Alum Wins Aerobatic Flight Championship
Congratulations to Palmer Timmons (Class of 2018) who won first place in the Sportsman Power division at the International Aerobatic Club National Championships in Salina, Kansas, on October 6. He also earned first-place flight medals for two of his three competition flights. “The concept of becoming a pilot was something that never seemed like a realistic, attainable goal until I was actually getting into flight training. I imagine there are plenty of ConVal High School students in the same position as I was. I encourage them to talk to me if they are interested in becoming a professional pilot, or look into local flight schools and book a discovery flight.” If you are interested in getting in touch with Palmer to learn more about a career in aviation, you can reach him at palmer.timmons@und.edu.
Community Forum November 10
The ConVal School Board and administration will hold the district’s fourth ConVal Community Forum on Thursday, November 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Lucy Hurlin Theater at ConVal High School.
As with the previous forums, there will be topic presentations, followed by questions and answers from the community. Both in-person attendance and streaming viewing will be available, with questions being taken from both audiences. Among the topics on the agenda are the remodeling of the high school, Applied Technology Center (ATC, and the two middle schools. The district is offering a survey to assist in the planning of the event; please click here to take the survey.
Classroom Snapshots!
Bethany Cooper AP Language and Composition & Spencer Fetrow's Philosophy Class at Walden Pond
On Tuesday, October 25th, students from Ms. Cooper's AP Language & Composition Course, Mr. Fetrow's Philosophy course, and six Austrian guests traveled south to Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. While at the pond, students gained information about Henry David Thoreau's life while residing at Walden Pond and the legacy he left behind for all Transcendentalist enthusiasts. The Education Director from The Walden Woods Project provided guided tours throughout the conservation land. Students went to the Walden Pond Visitor Center/Bookstore, explored the replica of Thoreau's cabin, walked to the original cabin site, and many decided that it was just warm enough to splash around in the pond.
The day before the field trip, students painted rocks to leave at the growing memorial adjacent to the original cabin site, so a little bit of ConVal from 2022 will remain in the woods. Despite the foggy, overcast weather, it was a beautiful day to be outside, enjoying nature.
Ms. Hodgdon's German I
Ms. Hodgdon's German I class is using Playdough to practice German verbs. During the class, she would share a verb that the students have previously learned and engaged them through the use of the Playdough to demonstrate that they understand the vocabulary.
Miss Maughen's Class
Students in Ms. Maughan's class celebrate the season with a lesson that combines inquiry and creativity. Each student was provided a pumpkin and worked to define its weight and circumference and how many seeds their pumpkin would contain. Students then enjoyed the creative process of carving their pumpkin and putting them on display.
ConVal Students Attend CTE Day At KSC
On Friday, October 21, ConVal High School students attended presentations about how they can further their education in dedicated CTE programs at Keene State College and how they, as technical program completers in the Applied Technology Center at ConVal, could already earn college credit.
The ConVal High School student group broke out into two class sessions, one before lunch and one after, based on the programs the students are currently in. Activities included science and engineering mini lessons, a 3D printing demonstration, working with clay, and a visit to a photography exhibit.
Keene State currently offers CTE students up to 8 college credits from work accomplished. Scholarships are available for students who major in chemistry, biology, and sustainable product design and innovation – as supported by the STEPS Program and the Delmar Ogg Scholarship Fund.
Wanted:
Donations of new or gently used (no stains please) men's wear (shirts, pants, and ties).
Donations may be dropped off at the main office to the attention of Jennifer Kiley (jkiley@conval.edu).
ConVal High School Counseling
Please check out the School Counseling newsletter for more information about some upcoming college and financial aid presentations: CVHS School Counseling Newsletter - October 2022
Athletic and Co-Curricular Updates
Upcoming in Athletics and Co-curriculars:
Winter Sport Registration is Open: To register your athlete for winter sports, please use the FamilyID link. https://www.familyid.com/ Be sure your athlete’s physical is updated (within the last 2 years and will not expire during the season) and is on file with the athletic department. Also, each athlete will need an up-to-date impact test for our concussion protocol. Payment options for participation are included in the link. Please reach out to the ConVal Athletic and Co-Curricular Department if you have any questions.
Start Dates:
Girls and Boys Hockey: 11/28
Girls and Boys Basketball: 11/28
Unified Basketball: 11/28
Swimming: 11/14
Wrestling: 11/14
Indoor Track: 11/28
Spirit Team: 11/28
Nordic: 12/5
Alpine: 11/21
Open Gyms are available for all interested athletes: no registration required to participate in these pre-season workouts.
Girls Basketball Mondays and Thursdays - 6pm
Boys Basketball Wednesdays - 7pm
Open Mat for Wrestling Sundays - 6pm
The weight room is available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 6am to 7am with a signed permission slip. Permission slips can be picked up at the main office or the Athletic and Co-Curricular office.
Big News: Kendall Sullivan of ConVal Volleyball was named Keene Sentinel Player of the Week. Congratulations Kendall, ConVal Nation is very proud of you!
Big News: Best of luck to Wyatt Burbank who will be competing in the New England Regional Golf tournament this weekend at Mohegan Sun Golf Club. Congratulations to Wyatt!
October 29th: Cross Country will compete at Derryfield Park in Manchester for the state meet. First race begins at 10am.
October 29th: Volleyball will compete in the quarterfinals at John Stark High School at 6pm. Last night, the ladies had an electric win at home in the preliminary round vs. Hanover. Volleyball is on a historic run posting their best record in program history. Click on this link to pre-purchase your tickets. Volleyball Tournament Tickets
Fees for entry: $3 per student/senior citizen and $5 per adult
October 30th: Boys Soccer will host the quarterfinal round vs Coe-Brown Academy at 2pm. There will be NO CHARGE at the gate for admission.
On The Stage
ConVal Nation Event of the Week: ConVal Theater presents And Then There Were None. Opening night is November 3rd and will be followed by performances on November 4th and 5th. Tickets are available online at ConVal Theater.
Mrs. Harris’ Mass Media class is currently creating a classroom newspaper to practice journalism skills. Below is an article by Hadi Lancaric.
And then….there was a show!
By Hadi Lancaric
The ConVal Theater department is producing a show entitled “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. It is based on a novel about ten people who were invited to an island for different reasons. They were then trapped on this island and needed to escape. 33 people auditioned for this 11 role show and everybody got in.
Elizabeth Moore, the English department head, the theater arts producer, and the director of this show, decided on two casts and one understudy cast so that everybody could get a role. Moore had performed in the show nine years ago and had been interested in being able to direct it. She states that she picked this show because “each of the people, no matter the size of their role, has a pretty rich backstory” and “everybody loves a good Agatha Christie”.
The design and concept of the set of this show is made by Moore, but the creation of the set will be built by people she can find. So far, the school band director Jim Wickham has built a platform, the woodshop teacher Mike Scaramellino is building the stairs, and student Chris Hall is building the windows. Moore is excited because this is the first year she is able to purchase new furniture and she believes she found pieces that could fit the show, but could also be used later. The costumes of the show are being chosen and created by a lot of students, but student Bella Stehly is the head of the costumes.
Moore said she is “very excited to see what will happen in the rehearsal process for the next few weeks” because bringing everything together gives the actors something new to play with. It brings a new perspective, and changes the quality of the show. The show is on November 3rd and 4th at 7pm and on November 5th at 2pm and 7pm.
Keep an eye out for the upcoming winter show “Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Jason Lambert and Mrs. Holcombe, and the Spring Musical “The Pirate Queen” directed by Moore, music directed by choir teacher Brian Moore, and choreographed by Eve Pierce. Go to www.cvlht.com for information on all of the shows as well as how to buy tickets or email theatre@conval.edu if you would like to join the theater Google classroom. Moore is “really excited to have a whole season of 'normal' performances," the students, and the community support has been a “great restart.”
ConVal Holiday Craft Fair
The ConVal Class of 2023 is pleased to continue the tradition of hosting a holiday craft fair here at the high school. The event will take place on Saturday, November 19, from 9 AM – 2 PM, with vendor set-up beginning at 7 AM.
We welcome crafters and makers of all sorts as well as direct sales vendors. Please note: We will only accept one vendor from each company, first registered, first served. We plan to have a student-run food court available at the event.
For more details, please visit this Google site. If you are interested in reserving a spot, please fill out this form. With any other questions, please email the senior class advisors Rebecca Dunn (rdunn@conval.edu) or Ashley Jones (ajones@conval.edu).
Note from the Nurses
As the temperature drops and we begin to spend more time indoors, the incidence of illness increases. We continue to encourage parents to keep your student home when sick. Illness absences should be called into the front office who will then forward that information to the school nurse for further follow up, if needed. Rapid COVID testing continues to be available at school. Please reach out to your school nurses with any questions or concerns.
Gretchen Shippee, RN ext. 4506
Judi Bernardi, RN ext. 4402
Crisis Support
The Class of 2023 is selling Poinsettias!
The poinsettias will be available for pickup at the ConVal Craft Fair on Sat., Nov. 19, or the week of Nov 21-23 at CVHS. Orders and payments are due by Nov. 16. Payment can be given to Ashley Jones or Rebecca Dunn. Click here to order! Thank you for supporting the CVHS Senior Class!
Snow Ball Winter Formal
Looking for Substitutes, Paraprofessionals
The ConVal School District is looking for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals.
The qualifications for employment as a substitute teacher or paraprofessional are as follows:
- Teaching experience not required
- Ability to work well with children and adults
- High school diploma or GED required
- At least 21 years of age
An appropriate certification or permission is required for long-term sub assignments.
To apply, please follow this link to the District’s online application system.
School Bus Drivers Needed
If you are looking to earn extra money while spending time with your children, including having the same days off as they do, then this is the perfect job for you.
- Be part of your community — drive a school bus!
- Company training with out certified instructors
- Great pay rate! We pay while you train, 6-8 weeks average
- Sign-on bonus available of $1,500 for qualified applicants
- Part-time hours
- Same vacation days off as ConVal schools
- Bring your kids to work, save on childcare expenses
Please contact Amy Wing by calling (603) 924-9211 or at awing@ridesta.com to request an application.
Student Transportation of America
364 Hancock Road
Peterborough, NH 03458
ConVal Regional High School
Location: 184 Hancock Road, Peterborough, NH 03458 (map)
Phone: (603) 924-3869
Email: conval.highschool@conval.edu
Website: cvhs.convalsd.net