RHS May Newsletter
May 1, 2022
May and June Save the Dates!
MCAS Testing
Gr. 10 Math 5/17 & 5/18 7:55-10:38 AM
Gr. 9 Science 6/7 & 6/8 7:55-10:38 AM
Saturday School
4/30 9:00-12:00 PM
5/14 9:00-12:00 PM
6/3 9:00-12:00 PM
AP Testing
Chemistry 5/2 11:30 AM
Psychology 5/3 11:30 AM
Lit & Comp 5/4 7:30 AM
Seminar 5/5 11:30 AM
Statistics 5/5 11:30 AM
US History 5/6 7:30 AM
Microeconomics 5/6 11:30 AM
Calculus 5/9 7:30 AM
Computer Science 5/9 11:30 AM
Lang & Comp 5/10 7:30 AM
Biology 5/11 11:30 AM
Physics 5/12 11:30 AM
Computer Science 5/18 11:45 AM
SAT Testing
SATs @ RHS for Juniors 7:30 AM 5/7
Professional Development & Early Releases
Early Release PD 5/5 @ 11:20 AM
Early Release PD 5/19 @ 11:20 AM
Early Release PD 6/2 @ 11:20 AM
School-Wide Events
Arts Festival 5/4 & 5/5 6:00 PM
Junior & Senior Prom 5/20 6:00 PM
Underclass. Awards Night 6/8 7:00 PM
Marking Periods
Term 4 Progress Reports 5/18
Senior Grades Due 5/27 @ 10:00 AM
Final Exams 6/14-6/21
Term 4 Grades Due 6/22
Senior Events
Last Day of Senior Classes 5/24
Senior Final Exams 5/25 8:00-11:00 AM
Senior Issues 5/26 & 5/27 7:55-11:00
Senior Cookout 5/27 11:00 AM
Graduation Practice 5/31 9:00 AM
Academic and Ath. Awards 6/2 7:00 PM
Graduation Practice 6/3 9:00 AM
Graduation 6/3 7:00 PM
Inside the Classroom
Spellman Oratorical Held April 13th
The article below was written by the RHS Veritas.
The annual Spellman Oratorical Contest was held on Wednesday evening, April 13 in the lecture hall.
This year eight seniors presented their essays on the question of how literature and art explore the experience of otherness and thus provoke a reevaluation of biases and perceptions in the process.
The Spellman Oratorical contest provides not only the opportunity for seniors to explore important aspects of art and literature but also distributes prize money which each year is given by the Ellen Conway Spellman Foundation to the winners of the essay/oratorical contest.
This year Ava LaBollita received the grand prize of $1200 for her essay which discussed the otherness of the characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Out of My Mind. Her essay also encouraged people to read literature in order to break down walls. “Exploring otherness will help expose previous biases toward those different from us and also bring us closer together… we can also get one step closer to understanding the experience of the other.”
In second place was Olivia Jones who received $1000 for her speech which focused on the characters in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and the screenplay Legally Blonde.
Third place ($700) went to Kathleen Nee who explored the theme of otherness in Beowulf and Wicked. Fourth place ($500) was won by Leah Leonard for her essay on the Lord of the Flies and The Kite Runner. Fifth place ($300) went to Madison Smith. She discussed two novels and one novella, “The Metamorphosis,” Farhrenheit 451 and The Giver. Sixth, Seventh and Eighth place were awarded in no particular order to Dan O’Brien, Christa Pollard and Callie Gillan. They received $100 each. O’Brien spoke about The Lord of the Flies and Othello; Pollard’s thesis concerned the need to read works by authors who themselves are “others” such as Zora Neale Hurston who wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God; Gillan’s essay focused on Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. and on Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.
English teacher Chris Neal was the master of ceremonies. He introduced each contestant and the judges who included Karen Bonn, Steve Waisgerber and Christina Kelly who are all RHS graduates. Contestants were judged on delivery, content, diction and poise. Each of the essays were between 500-1000 words and were chosen out of a larger pool of submissions. The contest is open to any RHS senior.
Monalisa Almeida was also chosen as a finalist but she was not able to attend the contest on Wednesday night.
Congratulations to all who participated!
Here is the link to a video produced by WRPS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmlv4ZRTORA&t=1s
Summer School
We are planning to offer a limited in-person Summer School this year with online options for courses not offered in in-person. Students must have a final average of 50 in a course to be eligible for summer school.
Dates:
Wednesday, July 6th - Tuesday, August 9th (classes are Monday - Thursday).
Class times:
Class 1: 7:45 - 9:45 AM
Class 2: 10:00 - 12:00 PM
Course offerings and schedule - to be determined
Cost per course: $200.00
Should a student fail a course for the year, the Guidance counselor will reach out to the student/family once they have final grades (beginning on June 23rd) to discuss options. Counselors will not know final grades or summer school eligibility until June 23rd.
If you have questions, please reach out to your/your student’s Guidance Counselor.
Guidance Update
If you (your student) are interested in attending a service academy, this informational fair will be a great introduction. Attendees will learn about the Congressional Nomination process and ask questions of service academy graduates.
Representatives from all of the major service academies (US Military Academy (West Point), US Naval Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, US Air Force Academy, the US Merchant Marine Academy), and Massachusetts Maritime Academy will be there.
Event details can be found here - you must register for the event. Details on how to register are in the flyer.
Applying to a service academy is a long, involved process - the sooner you start getting information the better. If you/your student is even considering a service academy, we encourage you to attend this event!
This spring, you can get a jump start on your college essays. They’re one of the most important and time-intensive parts of the application process. It is never too early to learn more about the college essay!
That’s why we’ve asked our friends at Prompt to help! They’re college application and essay experts. Each year, they support thousands of students throughout the application and essay process and help them gain admission to top-50 colleges (and more)!
They’ll be sharing their knowledge with families during a 30-minute virtual webinar: “Secrets to Great College Applications and Essays.”
The webinar is Thursday, May 5 at 7:00PM ET. This is being sponsored by Hanover High School Guidance; RHS students and families are invited to join!
Click here to reserve your spot
RSVP is required
Note: This webinar is in the spring because we encourage rising seniors to work on their college essays during the summer. This will allow more time to focus on academics and activities during senior year.
We held a National Guard presentation held on April 12 for RHS students. 15 students attended this event and learned the benefits of joining the National Guard along with what career opportunities were available to them. The students were engaged and sparked interest in the possibility of this pathway as a post secondary option.
Arts Festival
Broadway Night
This Month's Top Dogs!
Greece trip
Interested in traveling to Italy?
Interested in joining Travel Club?
There are still spots open for the trip to Italy next April 2023.
Here is the link to the itinerary.
Email Ms. Walsh at kwalsh@rocklandschools.org or see her in room 121 for the info!
Scholar athlete Night Held April 13th!
The South Shore League hosted the Scholar-Athlete Award Night at the Southers Marsh Golf Club in Plymouth on Wednesday, April 13th. Thank you to retired Athletic Director Gary Graziano for organizing the event for the entire South Shore League. Each high school nominates two students from their athletic program who best exemplifies a "scholar-athlete." Rockland recognized seniors Julia Elie and Conor Leavitt.
Spring Sports
Football State Championship Banquet Held
A Contract for Safety
Please see the message below from the Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative.
April is what is commonly known as the start of prom season and other major events for high school students. With the start of this time, also comes the rise of drinking events across the region. During this season, it is important to know ways to stay safe and responsible, often
referred to as harm reduction. Considering harm reduction practices is important during this
time because these events are often coupled with higher instances of impaired driving, and alcohol intoxication to the point of hospitalization or death. In fact, 5.4% of youth have reported drinking before driving at least once (https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/index.html).
These events are also often the first the time that youth try drinking and drinking in higher amounts. This first time can accompany the fear of parents finding out due to disapproval and a decreased likelihood of youth reaching out to an adult if they find themselves in
an unsafe scenario like drinking too much alcohol, driving under the
influence, or driving in a car with an impaired driver. It is important to note this because allowing the outlet for youth to have someone they can reach out to for help without having
the fear of repercussions at the moment, can allow youth to have an avenue if they find themselves in a position like this one. It is important to be aware of these side effects of
the season because education and awareness are often one of our top tools in protecting each other from unsafe consequences. A new way of encouraging teens to reach out
for help when in unsafe situations is through something called an alcohol contract.
This contract is something that is signed between youth so that in the
event they are in trouble due to alcohol, they will give permission to friends that they won't get upset if they need to call for help. Additionally, this contract can include their guardian or trusted adult so that the adult would agree to show up to help their teen
and deal with any repercussions at a later date. This allows for youth to feel comfortable contacting someone for help and having that be the main focus at the time, which can help to save lives and keep youth safe. Harm reduction is our biggest tool in
preventing serious consequences of these major milestone events and it is
important to focus on reducing harms in these moments so that we can focus on making this time of year safer for not only youth, but everyone in our communities.
Why American Teens So Sad?
May Lunch Menu
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