Weekly Cougar News
ConVal High School Happenings - October 7, 2022
Message from Principal McKillop
Good Afternoon, Cougar Nation!
We are one week into October, and two weeks into the fall season. Our campus has been alive with energy in the classrooms, learning spaces, and on our fields!
Earlier today, some of our juniors and seniors traveled to Southern New Hampshire University and Nashua Community College with members of our school counseling team. There were information sessions and campus tours provided by the schools.
Next Thursday, October 13, there is a college financial aid overview presentation for seniors and parents from 6:00pm-7:00pm in the Lucy Hurlin Theater (LHT). More details about this are listed in the school counseling portion of this newsletter.
Please don't forget to explore both the school counseling link and the CTE link that are embedded below for a comprehensive overview of current happenings in both departments.
I want to also highlight that, in each newsletter, there are important links that can direct you to places that may be helpful. This includes our communications protocols for any topic you may wish to discuss or any question you may have.
I have enjoyed cheering on many of our teams this week. I have been so impressed by the sportsmanship I have observed throughout the start of the school year, which is a true testament to our students, families, and community.
As a reminder, next Monday, October 10, our staff has a professional development day, and there will be no school in session for students.
Have a wonderful weekend, and GO COUGARS!
Best,
Heather
Table of Contents
Upcoming Dates and Events
Summer Programming Survey
Two Seniors Named Commended Students
Classroom Snapshots
- Mr Stetzer's Biology Class
- Mr. Wickham's Concert Band
Career & Technical Education
- Running Start
School Counseling News
Important Links
School Picture Day
Athletic, Co-Curricular and Club Updates
ConVal Pride Class Colors
Crisis Information
Yearbook Information
Fund Raiser for Class of 2023 - Poinsettias
ConVal Holiday Craft Fair
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
Looking for Substitutes, Paraprofessionals
School Bus Drivers
Upcoming Important Dates and Events
- October 10 - NO SCHOOL: All Staff PD Day
- October 11 - 9/10th grade reading NWEA make-up
- October 11 - ATC Trip to Keene State College
- October 12 - PSAT Testing
- October 13 - NHHEAF Senior College Planning/Applications 6PM
- October 13 - 9/10th grade math NWEA make-up
SUMMER PROGRAMMING SURVEY
Please see this note from the District Director of Learning Recovery:
As the Director of Learning Recovery, I want to be sure that our programming is designed to support all students. With that, I would like your feedback regarding the Summer Programming offered this past summer.
While I have heard from many of the families whose children attended Explore and Expand and Summer Academy this past summer, I would like feedback from families of students who did not attend. Your feedback will help us to make adjustments and increase access to our summer programs.
Using this link, please complete this 4 question survey. If you have multiple students at different levels, please complete the survey for each level.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Amy Janoch
Director of Learning Recovery
ConVal School District
Two Seniors Named Commended Students
Two ConVal High School seniors, Katherine Craig and Rachel Stajduhar, have been named Commended Students for the National Merit Scholarship program based on their performance on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSC) they took as juniors.
Craig and Stajduhar received commendation letters from the National Merit Scholarship program recognizing their high-scoring achievement among 1,500,000 student entrants nationwide. “I want to extend a big congratulations to these incredible students,” said Principal McKillop. “I am proud of their hard work and dedication and I am excited to see all that they will continue to accomplish.”
CLASSROOM SNAPSHOTS!
Mr. Stetzer's Biology Class
Mr. Wickham's Concert Band
Career & Technical Education
To access the information about the CTE programs at the Region 14 Applied Technology Center, please click this link.
How can Career and Technical Education (CTE) serve your students?
Did you know that all students in NH in grades 10-12 are eligible to participate in CTE programs ranging from accounting and agriculture to visual & performing arts and welding and everything in between? (Check out what CTE programs are offered in NH!) In fact, CTE also supports students down to grade 5 with career exploration activities and resources!
The CTE center that serves students in the Conant, ConVal, and Mascenic school districts areas is the Region 14 Applied Technology Center (ATC). CTE gives students real-world, hands-on experience in a variety of employment fields and offers opportunities for dual credit courses and Industry-Recognized Credentials that can give students an advantage after graduation.
We have an opportunity to have our CTE center renovated as part of the 2026-2027 biennium in the State budget. We want to make sure that our center best meets the needs of our students and community by preparing them for job opportunities available locally as well as nationally and world-wide. Would you please help by giving your input? Thank you for your help as we work to make the Region 14 Applied Technology Center meet the needs of our students and community.
Running Start Sign-Ups Still Open Until October 15
Registration is now open for Running Start classes through ccsnh.dualenroll.com! All students in the state of NH are eligible to take up to two Running Start classes for free each year as governed by the Governor’s STEM & CTE Scholarship. Students in the ConVal district have courses beyond these two covered by the school board so that the college credits are free to the students!
Students in the following classes can register for Running Start credit as either full year or Fall semester classes:
ConVal Course/ Instructor /College Credits/ Credits offered through
AP Biology/ Clifton-Waite /4 /Nashua Community College
College Composition /Carne /4/ Nashua Community College
AP Calculus /Morris/ 4 /Nashua Community College
Careers in Education I/ Grossi /6 /Nashua Community College
Careers in Education II /Grossi /3/ Nashua Community College
Human Growth and Development /Grossi /3 /Nashua Community College
Digital Photo & Video I /Levesque/ 3/ Nashua Community College
Digital Photo II /Levesque /3/ Nashua Community College
Software Programming & Game Design/ Morris /3/ Nashua Community College
Software Programming Using C++ /Morris/ 3 /Nashua Community College
Engineering 1 /Fabianski /3/ Manchester Community College
Engineering II /Fabianski /4 /Manchester Community College
Engineering III /Fabianski/ 3 /Manchester Community College
Engineering IV/ Fabianski /4 /Manchester Community College
Students will start the registration process by entering information on the DualEnroll.com website; registration runs from Monday, September 19 to Saturday, October 15. Parents and guardians will be emailed next steps when their student(s) has completed their part. Please note: while the website may indicate payment, all Running Start classes are free for ConVal students. Questions? Please contact Jennifer Kiley at 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
Pictured above are students that attended a field trip earlier today (10/7) to NH colleges.
Last Retake for Pictures
The Last Retake for Pictures will be on October 26, 2022!
Please make sure that you have your picture taken if you have not already had it done.
Athletic and Co-Curricular Updates
Our Athletics and Co-curriculars are in full swing. From Volleyball posting their best record in school history to the Spanish club expanding their culinary arts experience, our students have been involved in a variety of activities. ConVal Nation is full of great community spirit!
October 7th: ConVal Field Hockey will be hosting Souhegan as they honor their seniors. The senior night ceremonies will begin by 3:45 prior to the 4 o’clock start. Please join us on the Lower Field as we salute the Field Hockey class of 2023. This game is the ConVal Nation Event of the week! Every student and faculty member can earn points for your class.
October 11th: ConVal Golf will be competing in the state tournament in Windham.
October 13th: Next week the ConVal Nation Event of the Week is the Unified Soccer match vs. Hollis-Brookline. Come out to Stadium field at 4pm to celebrate our seniors in their senior night game.
Please visit our website to get all of the information on sporting events happening over the next couple of weeks.
Wyatt Beaulieu Sentinel Player Of The Week
Big News: Congratulations to Wyatt Beaulieu (ConVal Soccer) who was named the Keene Sentinel Player of the Week for his work as goalkeeper, shutting out 8 opponents this year.
Wyatt earned more votes than any recipient of this award since it began. Congratulations Wyatt!!
For more on the award, please follow this link: https://www.sentinelsource.com/sports/playeroftheweek/.
On The Stage
Our theater department completed auditions a couple of weeks ago for their fall show, And Then There Were None ..., by Agatha Christie. Opening night will be November 3rd, 7 pm followed by performances on November 4th and 5th. Clear your calendars now for what will sure to be a great night at the theater.
Anime Club News!
This week’s featured ConVal Co-Curricular/Club is Anime Club.
Anime Club is a positive place that promotes students to share their love and knowledge of anime, as well as appreciate Japanese culture. Members participate in viewing, drawing, discussing and learning about anime-related topics. No previous knowledge about anime is required to join, everyone is welcome! The attendance policy is: “come when you can.”
According to advisor Rachel Berten, “The club is probably going to meet Thursdays after school, twice a month, but that could change depending on member availability. We plan to talk about anime, watch anime, and possibly read manga. We have toyed with the idea of doing pen pals, trying different Japanese foods, and learning to draw anime.”
“One day,” Berten concluded, “I would love to go to an animecon with the students, but that’s a long way off.”
If you would like to join or get more information, please contact club advisor Rachel Berten at rberten@conval.edu.
Envirothon Team Seeks New Members
Calling all lovers of the outdoors and all things nature! Do you like to learn about trees, water, fish, animals, soil, climate, and our environment? Would you like to join a team that studies these things and competes against other schools for the title of Envirothon Champion? Then perhaps, Envirothon is the place for you!
Envirothon is an annual, environmentally-themed competition for high school-aged students. The ConVal Envirothon meets every Thursday from 2:30-4pm in Room 212. Email Mrs. Johnson at ajohnson@conval.edu for more details, or come Thursday to learn more.
We are always looking for new members, and no prior experience is needed. Come join our team!
ConVal Pride!
The first Monday of each month, students are encouraged to wear their class color and EVERY Friday students are encouraged to wear blue and gold to earn spirit points for their class. Which class will show the most school spirit this year and have their class immortalized on the Cougar Cup Spirit Trophy? Point collection starts October 3 and will run until Spring Fling in May!
CRISIS SUPPORT
We have recently posted this Crisis Information in varies places within the high school to support our students.
YEARBOOK INFORMATION
The 2022-2023 Yearbook staff are already hard at work putting together this year's yearbook! If you are interested in buying the yearbook at the lowest price of the year, please visit jostens.com to order now.
Are you a parent or guardian of a student who will be graduating this year? Do you have questions about when senior portraits are due or how to submit them? Please visit our yearbook website to find answers to ALL your ConVal yearbook questions.
Danielle Luke is one of our senior editors and she is so excited to help make this the best 2023 yearbook ever!
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!
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).
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
Children need healthy meals to learn. The Contoocook Valley School District offers healthy meals every school day. Your children are eligible for free meals if any of the following conditions apply:
- Your household’s income falls within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines (see the .pdf in fourth link below).
- Your household receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
- Your children participate in their school’s Head Start program.
- Your children are foster children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court.
- Your children meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant status.
Note: If you qualify this year, or have qualified in the past, please fill out the application as soon as possible. The application has to be renewed annually. To file your family's application — only one application needs to be submitted to cover all children in your household —, please follow these links:
2022-2023 Free and Reduced Application (online)
2022-2023 Free and Reduced Application (.pdf)
2022-2023 Free and Reduced Instructions (.pdf)
2022-2023 Free and Reduced Income Guidelines (.pdf)
Questions? Please contact Liz Walton at the SAU, either by emailing lwalton@conval.edu or by calling (603) 924-3336 x2034.
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