RHS September Newsletter
September 1, 2021
The First Week
We want to hear from our students and families throughout the year with any feedback you have. Please reach out to us by calling the main office or sending any of our staff an email.
September & October Save the Dates!
September
9/3 No School Labor Day Weekend
9/6 No School Labor day Weekend
9/9 School Picture Day
9/10 Senior Assembly- Naviance & College Process (2nd Period)
9/11 Saturday School 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
9/15 Back to School Night for Parents 6:30 PM
9/20 College Bootcamp for Seniors 6:15 PM
9/24 Pink-out Day for Breast Cancer Awareness
9/25 Saturday School 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
9/26 Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
9/27 Spirit Week Begins
9/27-9/29 Dicennial NEASC Accreditation Visit
October
10/1 Term 1 Progress Reports Available
10/1 Pep Rally
10/1 Homecoming Football Game
10/2 SAT Testing @ RHS
10/2 Homecoming Dance
10/8 No School- Staff Professional Development
10/11 No School-Columbus Day
10/13 PSAT Testing for Gr. 10 and Gr. 11 Students (Late start for Gr. 9 and 12 students)
10/13 Financial Aid Night 6:30 PM
10/15 Ask a Faculty Member About College
10/16 Saturday School 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM
10/20 Gr.8 Open House 6:30 PM
10/21 School Picture Make-Up Day
10/21 Early Release @ 11:20 AM for Staff Professional Development
10/23 Project Pumpkin
News From the Guidance Office
Senior Postsecondary Planning Information
Whether your child is considering further education beyond high school, employment or military service, we want to encourage you to continue to take an active role in helping him/her plan for the future.
You can be assured that counselors will do their best to make this a productive and positive year. When students, parents, and school personnel work together toward a common goal, good things happen. Two-way communication is especially important - whether it be through in-person meetings, phone calls, emails or Google Meets.
We will be holding a Senior Assembly on September 10th to discuss the college application process and are excited that we will be able to host our in-person College Application Bootcamp in person on September 20th. Details will be given to students at the assembly.
We will also host a Financial Aid Night for parents on October 13th - even if you have attended a session in the past, changes in financial aid make it worth your while to attend. We hope to host a FAFSA help night for parents in the fall as well. Details on these events will be shared in September. Here is a helpful financial aid timeline for seniors.
Guidance counselors will be posting information in their Guidance Google classrooms throughout the year. We hope the following information and resources will be helpful for students and families:
Important Dates for the Class of 2022
RHS Senior General Information
For Students Planning to Apply to a Four-Year College
Senior college planning calendar
Who Does What in the College Application Process
For Students considering Trade/Technical/Vocational School, Military, Employment
RHS Back to School Paperwork
On the first day of school, students will receive the following handouts in their period A class.
- Parent Contact/Dismissal Card
- Student Cell Phone Contact Sheet
- Student Handbook Contract Sheets
Please complete the first day of school paperwork no later than Tuesday, September 7th.
This year we are asking families to update any changes to your family’s personal contact information and emergency contact information by viewing their information in X2 Aspen and then making any changes using the electronic form below.
First, please review the information in X2.
- Log in to your X2 Aspen Account. https://ma-rockland.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
- Select the Family Top Tab.
- Select the Details Side Tab.
- Review all of the information.
If there are no changes, you do not need to do anything further. If you need to make changes to your personal contact information or emergency contact information, please fill out the form by clicking here. Please note we will still need families to complete and return the Parent Contact/Dismissal Cards which contain important medical information.
Welcome to New RHS Staff!
Greg Banks
Rockland High School welcomes Gregory Banks as a job coach in the Transitions Program. Mr. Banks graduated from Bridgewater State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. Since 2013 Greg Banks has worked as a paraprofessional at the Rogers Middle School. In his time at Rogers Middle School, Mr. Banks has served as a long-term substitute teacher and Remote Learning Teacher. Greg has also served as an assistant coach on the high school baseball staff.
Steven Bergman
Rockland High School is pleased to announce Mr. Steven Bergman who will join the Rockland Public Schools as a music teacher at Rogers Middle School and Rockland High School. Mr. Bergman will teach chorus, serve as the choral director, and be the director of the fall play and spring musical. Mr. Bergman has previously worked as a choral and drama teacher at Dedham High School, the Littleton Public Schools, and the Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall School.
Daniel Gately
Rockland High School welcomes Mr. Daniel Gately who will join the World Language Department as a Spanish Teacher. Mr. Gately graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has previously worked as a Language and Cultural Ambassador in Spain and as a substitute teacher at the Boston Collegiate Charter School. He will teach Spanish I and Spanish II.
Nicole Kubek
Rockland High School is excited to welcome Ms. Nicole Kubek who will work as a paraprofessional in the library and in math inclusion classes. Ms. Kubek graduated from College of Saint Rose with a major in education and a concentration in English. Nicole has previously worked as the Center Director at Knowledge Universe where she hired, trained, and mentored new teachers.
Kylie McKenna
Rockland High School is excited to welcome Rockland High School alum, Kylie McKenna to the Science Department. Kyle graduated from Suffolk University with a Bachelor of Biochemistry and received her Masters of Education in Secondary Science at the High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning. Kylie completed her student teaching at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School and taught in the Rockland High School Summer School Program this past summer.
Diana Newcomb
Rockland High School is pleased to welcome Ms. Diana Newcomb who will transition from Rogers Middle School to Rockland High School as a Physical Education Teacher. Ms. Newcomb has worked for the Rockland Public Schools since 2004 and brings a wealth of experience as a teacher, coach, and now Department Head. She will serve as the K-12 Department Head for Physical Education, Health, Family & Consumer Science, and Construction Technology.
Guiping Zhang
Rockland High School welcomes Ms. Guiping Zhang who will teach AP Physics, College Preparatory Physics, and Engineering this year. Ms. Zhang earned her doctoral degree from Nanjing University in China where she majored in Physics. Ms. Zhang has worked as a Research Associate and Associate Scientist where she has researched electronic and mechanical properties of graphene and other materials.
RHS Back to School Night September 15th
Breakfast and Lunch Menu's
First Day of School Student Assembly Video
DECENNIAL ACCREDITATION VISIT TO BE CONDUCTED BY THE COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
6 educators will conduct an on-site Initial or Decennial Accreditation visit of Rockland Senior High School on September 27th through September 29th. The Accreditation visit will be conducted under the direction of the Commission on Public Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The purpose of this Accreditation visit is to review and determine from an outside professional viewpoint the extent to which the school is aligned with the Standards for Accreditation. As part of the assessment, the visiting team will meet with all school constituents, review the school’s Self-Reflection, visit a number of classes, and examine examples of student work submitted by the school. During the comprehensive Self-Reflection, the faculty attempted to identify the school's strengths and determined those areas in which changes would be beneficial.
The purpose of visiting Rockland High School is to assist the faculty in its pursuit of quality education for its students. The members of the visiting team are contributing their services to the school. This spirit of professional collaboration is one of the noted features of the New England Association. The goal of an Accreditation visit is to stimulate a continuing drive for improvement in the school. The members of the visiting team are teachers and administrators from a variety of schools in the New England area.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is a voluntary membership organization of more than 2,000 public schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, and vocational, technical, and career institutions. Of these, over 725 schools have been accredited through the Association's Commission on Public Schools. The Commission works with individual public schools to improve the quality of education through a continuous process of Accreditation and evaluation.
Academic Hallway of Excellence
RHS Student Handbook
Students and families are strongly encouraged to review the 2021-2022 Student Handbook. The handbook is located electronically here.
Below are a few important reminders about our school attendance policy.
Students arriving after 7:55 am must report to the main office and receive a tardy slip before they will be allowed admittance to their assigned classroom.
A student who accumulates 7 or more days of unexcused absences from school for a semester class and/or 14 or more days of unexcused absences from school for a full-year class will lose academic credit for those classes. Grades earned from the course are not affected by a loss of credit. The course grade will appear on a student’s transcript but without credit. A student is eligible to participate in a Credit Recovery Process to receive the credits.
Please note a student is considered absent in a particular class after 20 minutes from when the period begins. The administration may assign a Saturday detention for any students who exceed 5 unexcused tardies per term.
Medical notes need to be provided to the main office within one week of the date of the absence.
Absences, Tardies, and Dismissals are excused for the following reasons:
Medical Situations - physician’s note
Bereavement – parental contact
Religious observance – parental contact
Professional appointments that could not be scheduled outside the regular school day (i.e., court appointments) -parental contact
Field trips or other school-sanctioned event/activity
College visits approved ahead of time by guidance
Please be sure to review all school-wide policies.
School Safety Reminders
On the first day of school, the administration and faculty reviewed procedures with students regarding fire evacuations, stay in place, lockdown, and ALICE procedures. If anyone has any questions, please contact our School Resource Officer Ethan Schnabel, Assistant Principal Kathy Paulding, or Principal John Harrison.
Students should be reminded at the home of the importance of not opening the doors for anyone and never propping a door open during, before, or after school.
We do not allow student dismissals over the phone. Dismissal notes need to be provided in the morning the student is being dismissed. If there is an illness, the dismissal must be coordinated through the school nurse.
In addition, student tardiness and dismissals should be limited. Students should come to school with all of their belongings as parent drop-offs lead to interruptions into the classroom as well as frequent entrances into the building. Last year, we had a few Dunkin Donut iced coffee deliveries which we could not deliver!
Captain's Workshop Held for Student Leaders
Mr. Liquori reviewed the universal qualities of a team captain. He highlighted the desire to compete at a high level as a characteristic of a captain and the importance of valuing a team, even in the face of defeat.
Some of the key takeaways from the workshop included the following:
Mr. Harrison had the students reflect on their own leadership, emphasizing different leadership styles, including leading by example and being vocal leaders. He shared the 4 C's of leading by example- commitment, confidence, composure, and character. He also shared the best way to be a vocal leader: focusing on serving, building the team's confidence, refocusing the team, and building a team culture. Captains completed a self-assessment tool that will serve as a valuable checklist.
Mr. Kimball went over the Captain's Duties, Expectations, and Responsibilities with student leaders. Mr. Kimball emphasized the importance of representing the school inside and outside the school day, leading by example, showing respect for all members of an athletic contest, supporting the coach, and mentoring younger team members. Mr. Kimball challenged the captains to know every player on the team well.
Ms. Newcomb spoke to students about the job description of a captain. She shared how much she loves the community and cherishes her role as a teacher and coach, helping student-athletes learn to be good captains. Through her own life story, she emphasized the importance of serving as a positive role model, one of the primary roles of a captain.
Ms. Paulding and the students discussed the "12 Simple Yet Significant Daily Do's for Leaders." Ms. Paulding simplified the message to the students to motivate them to think about the role of the captain in the community, sharing that watching out for teammates to make sure they are making responsible decisions is part of the role of a captain.
The following projected captain's successfully completed the initial workshop:
Monalisa Almeida
Mikayla Andre
Sydney Blaney
Carter Burke
Emma Burns
Emma Cameron
Peter Celestino
Kameron Christ
Jacob Coulstring
Shane Daly
Julia Elie
Jessica Esposito
Margaret Flaherty
Thomas Gallagher
Sean Geary
Madison Hermeneau
Hannah Higgins
Charlie Kelleher
Carolayne Lage
Lucas Leander
Shea MacDougall
Darcy McGuirk
Madison Murphy
Gavin Norton
Emma Radzik
Logan Rogers
Madison Smith
Jordan Stec
Mr. Graziano concluded the workshop by having student-athletes sign a contract. Then, everyone enjoyed pizza and salad! We are looking forward to having a great year of athletics within the community.
After School Support Program
The After School Support Program is presently offered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in the scheduled rooms listed below from 2:45-4:15 PM. Any student is welcome to report to these locations to get academic work done!
Mondays
2:45-4:15 PM
Ms. Leighton
Room 235
Tuesdays
2:45-4:15 PM
Ms. Coulombe
Room 210
Wednesdays
2:45-4:15 PM
Ms. Launie
Room 217
Services offered:
Make up academic work, including quizzes and tests, in a structured learning environment.
Redeem lost credit due to extended absences through the school's credit recovery program.
Quiet place to complete academic coursework before extracurricular activity or event.
Saturday School Information
Saturday School is held on select Saturdays each month from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM. Students may arrive and stay for any length of time to make up missed assignments, quizzes, and/or tests to improve grades. This is also a great chance to get extra help or support on upcoming projects or essays. Please notify teachers in advance that you will be attending so that your assignments are waiting for you. Contact Dan Kimball with any questions: dkimball@rocklandschools.org
Term 1
✱September 11 (Saturday School)
✱ September 25 (Saturday School)
✱ October 16 (Saturday School)
Term 2
✱ November 13 (Saturday School)
✱ November 20 (Saturday School)
✱ December 11 (Saturday School)
✱ January 8 (Saturday School)
Term 3
✱ February 5 (Saturday School)
✱ February 19 (Saturday School)
✱ March 5 (Saturday School)
✱ March 19 (Saturday School)
Term 4
✱ April 9 (Saturday School)
✱ April 30 (Saturday School)
✱ May 14 (Saturday School)
✱ June 4 (Saturday School)
SGC Camp & Band Camps Held!
RHS held its annual Student Government Council Camp on Monday, August 16th through Wednesday, August 18th. The first two days of the camp focused on team building and bonding and the third day included a collaboration day with the Band Camp to work on student leadership skills. Students were able to improve communication, teamwork, and leadership skills as well as bond as a council. SGC facilitated student-run workshops and even a workshop led by RHS SGC alumni. Maddie Smith hosted a workshop that focused on communication. Ngan Nguyen ran a workshop that narrowed in on listening skills and teamwork. Maria Pala organized a workshop with a focal point of logic and communication to complete a common goal.
Some of the highlights of the camp were:
Self-improvement Leadership Workshop
Time management workshop
Discussion of fundraisers
Space tag activity
Committee Chants
Committee War Games featuring Crack an Egg, Oreo Minute to Win it, and Water Balloon Toss
A Scavenger Hunt
The following students participated in SGC Camp this year.
Chelsea Amaral, Avery Burke, Joshua Campoverde, Benjamin Carpine, Nicole Cedrone, Emily Costa, Emilee Dunham, Kaileigh Fulton, Simon Ghebremariam,Callie Gillan, Shannon Gustin, Ava Hagan, Logan Hatch, Nevaeh Jolliemore, Olivia Jones, Megan Joyce, Ava LaBollita, Carolayne Lage, Sophie Levy, Madison Lorgeree, Abbie Loughlin, Mary McPartlin, Corinne Medford, Lina Nassif, Ngan Nguyen, Maria Pala, Rose Ripley, Madison Smith, Hope Sylvester, and Evonne Woodfin.
Students are encouraged to get involved with Student Government Council throughout the school year. To join Student Government Council, please contact advisors Ms. Bartoloni (kbartoloni@rocklandschools.org) and Ms. Penney (kpenney@rocklandschools.org). A special thank you to advisors Ms. Bartoloni and Ms. Penney for working with the kids to organize the successful camp!
RHS Students participated in the annual Band Camp on Wednesday, August 18th through Friday, August 20th. During the three-day music and leadership workshop, students practiced sectionals, performed a group rehearsal, engaged in a joint leadership seminar with Student Government Council, and learned Parade Fundamentals. Students also practiced show tunes, stand tunes, and parade tunes. All the students put forth a great effort.
The following students should be commended for actively participating in Band Camp.
Kathleen Nee - Musical Director
Sophia Aifa
Hannah Ivil
Emma Krog
Zac Harrington
Logan Hatch
Leah Leonard
Daniel O'Brien
Adam Pollard
Conor Quackenbush
Special Guest - Eve Piazza
A special thank you to the RHS Music Boosters for their support of the Band Camp and Ms. Crook and Mr. Piazza for their organization of the camp!
Upcoming Travel Trips
The Rockland High Travel Club will be taking three trips in 2022:
Belize (February)
Greece (April)
Australia and New Zealand (July)
Any student in grades 9-12 interested in applying/signing up should attend the virtual informational meeting on Thursday, September 16th at 7 p.m. Students, parents and guardians all welcome to join in!
At this meeting, we will go over the destinations, costs, safety procedures, and all other aspects of the tours.
To RSVP for the meeting (or if you can't make it but want more information), please go to this link: https://rsvp.eftours.com/hpdj7gv
If you have any questions at all, please email Kristen Walsh, English teacher and Travel Club advisor, at kwalsh@rocklandschools.org
FEBRUARY 2022 Belize
Greece April 2022
Australia and New Zealand July 2022
Club Advisor Contact Information
Students should begin thinking about the extracurricular activities they would like to get involved in for the 2021-2022 school year.
Art Club Ms. Cheryl Thompson cthompson@rocklandschools.org
Astronomy Club Mr. Robert Murphy rmurphy@rocklandschools.org
Band Mr. John Piazza jpiazza@rocklandschools.org
Bulldog Buddies Ms. Kendra Donovan kdonovan@rocklandschools.org
Ms. Joanne White jwhite@rocklandschools.org
Chorus Mr. Steven Bergman sbergman@rocklandschools.org
Environmental Club Ms. Angela Armstrong aarmstrong@rocklandschools.org
Freshmen Mentoring Program Ms. Adrienne Donovan adonovan@rocklandschools.org
Gay Straight Alliance Mr. Chad Bigsby cbigsby@rocklandschools.org
Key Club Ms. Val Mulready vmulready@rocklandschools.org
Literary Magazine (Images) Mr. Chad Bigsby cbigsby@rocklandschools.org
Mr. Chris Neal cneal@rocklandschools.org
Math Team Ms. Valerie Mulready vmulready@rocklandschools.org
Mock Trials To Be Determined
National Honor Society Ms. Kendra Donovan kdonovan@rocklandschools.org
Rubik’s Cube Club Ms. Angela Armstrong aarmstrong@rocklandschools.org
School Newspaper (The Veritas) Ms. Madeline Lannin-Cotton mlannin-cotton@rocklandschools.org
Student Government Council Ms. Kirsten Bartoloni kbartoloni@rocklandschools.org
Ms. Kara Penney kpenney@rocklandschools.org
Theater Guild Mr. Steven Bergman sbergman@rocklandschools.org
Travel Club Ms. Kristen Walsh kwalsh@rocklandschools.org
WRPS Digital Media & Television Club Mr. Dave Cable-Murphy dcablemurphy@rocklandschools.org
Yearbook Ms. Kata Medeiros kmedeiros@rocklandschools.org
Freshmen Orientation Held August 25th
On Wednesday, August 18th, a Freshmen Mentor Training was held from 5:00-7:00 PM in the Library Media Center. The Freshmen Mentoring Program, known as HYPE (Helping Youth Peers Excel) is led by Advisor Adrienne Donovan. The program is in its third year and has evolved each year to try to meet the incoming Grade 9 student’s needs so that each freshman can have a smoother transition to high school.
During the mentor training, student leaders learned leadership qualities of mentors, expectations of how to best support Grade 9 students, throughout the school year, and wrote postcards to their mentees.
The following students have been named mentors for this upcoming school year:
Sydney Blaney
Shelby Bohan
Emma Cameron
Emily Costa
Olivia Dalton
Bella Dangora
Shane Daly
Esabella Defilippo
Brynn Dempsey
Kaleigh Fulton
Gabriella Gambon
Callie Gillan
Celia Jones
Kelly Kearns
Charlie Kelleher
Carolayne Lage
Darcy McGuirk
Lexie McKenna
Victoria Murray
Alyssa Mui
Lina Nassif
Emma Radzik
Anna Ramponi
Liam Wallace
During the Freshmen Orientation on Wednesday, August 25th, Grade 9 students and families attended a brief presentation in the auditorium, heard from Student Government President Madison Smith, and met their mentors. Mentors gave students a tour while parents and guardians remained in the auditorium for a student panel facilitated by Guidance Director Margie Black. Thank you to our student panelists Mikayla Andre, Austin Clarke, Julia Elie, Lucas Leander, and Kathleen Nee.
Here are the presentation slides from orientation. While the slides were intended for our Grade 9 students, the information will benefit all students at Rockland High School.
Super fan visits Football Team
Athletics Contact Information of Coaches
Athletic Director Mr. Gary Graziano graziano@rocklandschools.org
Cheerleading Ms. Jeanine Reardon jreardon@rocklandschools.org
Boys Basketball Mr. Fred Damon freddamon@rocklandschools.org
Baseball Mr. Michael Doyle mdoyle@rocklandschools.org
Boys Cross Country Mr. Robert Murphy rmurphy@rocklandschools.org
Girls Basketball Ms. Diana Newcomb dnewcomb@rocklandschools.org
Boys Lacrosse Mr. David Taylor davetaylor@rocklandschools.org
Girls Cross Country Ms. Melissa Harris mharris@rocklandschools.org
Hockey TBA
Girls Lacrosse Ms. Sue Gormley sgormley@rocklandschools.org
Football Mr. Nicholas Liquori nliquori@rocklandschools.org
Swimming Ms. Julie Margolis jmargolis@rocklandschools.org
Softball Ms. Emily Adams eadams@rocklandschools.org
Golf Mr. Matthew Vincenzi mvincenzi@rocklandschools.org
Wrestling Mr. Timothy Brown tbrown@rocklandschools.org
Boys Tennis Ms. Christopher Beatrice cbeatrice@rocklandschools.org
Boys Soccer Mr. Daniel Kimball dkimball@rocklandschools.org
Girls Tennis Ms. Ariana Launie alaunie@rocklandschools.org
Girls Soccer Ms. Marcia Beatty mbeatty@rocklandschools.org
Boys Track Mr. Mark Killinger mkillinger@rocklandschools.org
Volleyball Ms. Emily Adams eadams@rocklandschools.org
Girls Track Mr. Randy Grimmett rgrimmett@rocklandschools.org
Sports Schedules
Download the Rockland Public Schools App!
Some of the best uses of the app include:
- Setting up notifications so you can receive real-time updates from the school.
- Checking out the news feed daily to receive highlights on the events at RHS
- An events calendar that includes tentative dates for the 2021-2022 school year
- Easy contact information for staff, including their email addresses
- Quick access to the lunch menu
- Access to frequently used documents including guidance forms, the student handbook, the bell schedule, and many more
- One-click to check grades through Aspen
The App is linked through the school website, which is www.rocklandschools.org.
Please download the App and if there is something you think would be fun for us to include in the App please let us know!
Rockland High School
Principal
Email: jharrison@rocklandschools.org
Website: https://www.rocklandschools.org/o/rockland-high
Location: 52 Mackinlay Way, Rockland, MA, USA
Phone: 781-871-0541
Twitter: @RocklandHS