Grading and Reporting

A common theme over the last few years that has come from staff, students, and families has been the difficulties our previous grading and reporting system presented. As a district, over the last several years, we have all worked to learn about and commit ourselves to competency-based education. Reporting on academic skills separate from behaviors, alignment of our curriculum to agreed-upon standards, and developing reassessment practices reflect important research-based advancements. This work was thoughtful and valuable and we stand by it as well as the goals of competency-based education. The shifts this year have all been thoughtfully implemented so that we can realize the communicated purpose of grades in SAU 39 by ensuring that the system of grading and reporting more accurately and easily communicates student learning to all stakeholders.

Overall, the simplification of the grade calculation provides more clarity for the entire process. We need students, parents and teachers to all understand and be able to explain how grades are earned and calculated. Again, it’s important to keep in mind that the shifts this year are not taking us back to traditional grading practices. We continue to employ a competency-based approach that communicates how students are performing on a set of clearly defined and pre-determined learning targets by the end of a course.

Click here for a full description of the updates and here for a narrated presentation that describes the context, updates, and feedback so far.

The school day on Wednesday, October 12 will run from 8:30-12:30 with buses departing SHS at 12:45. Buses will also run at 3:40 as usual, though students should not remain on campus without purpose.

• Students in Grade 9: Upon consultation with 9th grade teams, students will attend team classes following a modified schedule.

• Students in Grade 10: Students have a modified schedule based around their Humanities classes (to compensate for lost instructional time due to NWEA and picture day). Students will also attend sessions for Division 1 and Wellness.

• Students in Grade 11: Students will take the PSAT and be dismissed upon completion.

• Students in Grade 12: Past practice has been to hold a senior hike on PSAT day. Due to a lack of availability of transportation, the fall senior hike is not an option this year. In lieu of the hike, students will engage in a senior work/post-secondary exploration day, supported with on and off-campus options. Students completed a Google Form this week in advisory indicating how they will spend their time on this day and whether they will work on or off campus.

The Preliminary SAT exam will be administered to all juniors on Wednesday, October 12th beginning at 8:30am. This is a great opportunity our district gives to all 11th graders to assist them in preparing for the SAT. The school based SAT will be administered in late March to juniors. This year we will also administer the PSAT 10 to sophomores in late March. Please click here for more important information about the PSAT.

Seniors, important Early Action/Early Decision deadlines are approaching. Please make sure to see your counselor and have the Naviance updated with the colleges you are applying you by the SHS deadlines associated with the college deadline dates -

College Deadline / SHS Deadline

November 1 / October 6 - Thursday

November 15 / October 13 - Thursday

National Honor Society

Seniors whose end of year GPA last year was a 3.6 or above were notified of their qualification for application for National Honor Society on 9/28. The deadline for applications is 10/12. Students will be notified of their acceptance status by 10/28 in advance of the 11/1 college application deadline.

Senior Project Community Volunteers Needed!

We need your help! The Senior Project is a cornerstone of the Souhegan High School experience. An integral part of this process is the inclusion of Amherst and Mont Vernon community members just like you. We are looking for community members to join the Souhegan staff to help guide our seniors throughout this year-long process. No special skills or experience is required, just a willingness to be part of this exciting capstone project.

Each community member will join three Souhegan staff members on a panel that will follow several Souhegan students through their senior project. Panels will meet with students and check on their progress four times throughout the year. Each meeting will focus on a specific element of the senior project: the Proposal Letter, the Applied Piece Proposal, Research, the Applied Piece, and Presentation. During panel meetings students will present their work to date; panel members will provide feedback and use a rubric to determine if the student’s work is passing or incomplete.

No prior knowledge or specific skills are needed to serve on a panel. Community members will need to attend training and please fill out this form. You will also receive assistance from the Souhegan staff members on their panel.

If volunteering to serve on a panel it is essential that you are able to attend all three of the panel meetings, as well as the final presentations.

• Proposal Letter Panel: Tuesday November 1, 3:15 - 4:30 pm

• Applied Piece Proposal Letter Panel: Tuesday January 10, 3:15 - 4:30 pm

• Project Completion Panel: Tuesday April 20, 3:15 - 4:30 pm

• Presentations: Thursday, May 18 and Friday May 19, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm

Specific information is contained in the Senior Project Resource Packet, available Senior Project Packet or on the Souhegan website.

If interested please contact:

• Kathy Maddock (kmaddock@sau39.org) or

• Ryan Lemieux (rlemieux@sau39.org).

Please let us know if you are interested by Friday, November 14, 2022

The Learning Commons has become a hub of activity at Souhegan. Students can learn, collaborate and recharge, and drop-in tutoring is available every period from teachers and support staff. Additionally, we are working on recruiting and training peer tutors. Check the Learning Commons Support Schedule to see what support is available during each period.

Want some free SAT prep? Each week the Learning Commons gives away two $5 Dunkin gift cards to two students who correctly answer a sample SAT question. Students can scan QR codes in the Learning Commons to see the prompts. Additionally, the New Hampshire Department of Education is inviting students to participate in free SAT prep courses! Click here for more information.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the approximately 60.4 million Hispanic or Latino citizens in our country and in the world beyond our own borders. Begun by Lyndon Johnson in 1968, it was a mere week long; however, under Ronald Reagan twenty years later, it was extended to span a month, and was thus enacted into law on the 17th of August, 1988 (United States Census). Not only does Hispanic Heritage Month celebrate the contributions, diverse cultures, and histories of our Hispanic brethren, but for several countries, it celebrates their independence days (e.g., Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua on September 15; Mexico’s September 16; Chile’s September 18). While officially recognized from the fifteenth of September to the fifteenth of October, a mere month should not hold us back from celebrating those who have woven the social fabric of society alongside us. Let us always be united by the bond of brotherhood that strengthens, beautifies, and humanizes us all.

Next Week’s Athletic Schedule

Full season game schedules can be found here.