Weekly Cougar News
ConVal High School Happenings - March 25, 2022
Message From Principal McKillop
I hope this email finds you well. You may notice that our newsletter has a slightly different look to it, with horizontal lines delineating different sections of the newsletter and multiple stories being grouped together by theme.
As you will also see from the numerous news items below, there are many exciting things happening at ConVal High School. Learning is, of course, always our central focus, whether it occurs in our regular classrooms (English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, German, Art, and Music) or in the programs of the Region 14 Applied Technology Center (Automotive Technology, Business, Woodworking, and Digital Photography).
There are also many special highlights in this week's newsletter: from senior Sarah Holdredge being named a Hometown Hero by WMUR (congratulations, Sarah!) to the music department's upcoming performance at the Great East Festival; from the students in the National Honors Society and on Student Council being very actively engaged in the greater ConVal district community to our junior students completing the SAT exam last Wednesday.
Please also note that we are seeking student and community input on the position of Director of Athletics and Co-Curriculars. Feel free to attend one of the focus group sessions listed below or fill out this survey.
Every day, I truly appreciate the special learning community we have here at ConVal High School. And every week, there are more and more signs that the school's indomitable spirit is rising above the difficulties of the past two years of the pandemic.
Happy reading!
Best,
Heather
Email: conval.highschool@conval.edu
Website: http://cvhs.convalsd.net/
Location: 184 Hancock Road, Peterborough, NH 03458
Phone: (603) 924-3869
Table of Contents
- Upcoming Important Dates and Events
- Holdredge A WMUR Hometown Hero
- ConVal Music To Play At Great East Music Festival
- Classrooms at ConVal
- School Counseling News and Updates
- Applied Technology Center News
- Athletic and Co-Curricular Update
- National Honor Society and Student Council News
- Breakfast and Lunch Menus
- Class of '22 Senior Shirts Fundraiser
- Class of '23 Merchandise and Bumper Sticker Fundraiser
- Class of '24 Spring Vendor & Craft Fair, Pillows Fundraiser
- Class of '25 Merchandise Fundraiser
- Senior Prom Masquerade Ball Tickets To Go On Sale in April
- COVID-19 Update
Upcoming Important Dates and Events
- April 1: Quarter 3 Ends
- April 1: Payment Deadline Great East Music Festival
- April 7: All-State Music Festival
- April 8: Educators Rising Conference
- April 8: Adult Diploma Program Application Deadline
Holdredge A WMUR Hometown Hero
Senior Girls Lacrosse player Sarah Holdredge has been named this week’s WMUR Hometown Hero. Sarah’s story aired on WMUR Channel 9 on Thursday, March 24.
In the broadcast, ConVal Lacrosse coach Derek Sorbello described the unique qualities that Holdredge possesses. As the team’s star goalie, Sorbello said, Holdredge “is one of the best unicorns we have had.”
In addition to maintaining a 3.4 GPA and being active in multiple sports — including all-state in both field hockey and lacrosse —, Sarah also is very engaged in community service. She is a volunteer member in the Francestown Fire Department and plans to become a firefighter paramedic. “I go on firefighting and EMS calls and try to help out whenever I can,” Holdredge said.
A particular passion of hers is the involvement with young female athletes. Holdredge volunteers as a youth lacrosse coach and is a ski instructor on Crotched Mountain during the winter months.
After graduating from ConVal, Holdregde plans to play field hockey and lacrosse for Colby Sawyer College in New London.
Congratulations, Sarah, on being named a WMUR Hometown Hero!
ConVal Music To Play At Great East Festival
After a nearly four-year hiatus, the ConVal Music Department is returning to its traditions of excellence and will perform at the Great East Music Festival this year! The trip on May 13 to Palmer, MA, includes adjudicated performances by the band and chorus ensembles as well as clinics with a collegiate band leader and a chorus director.
The cost of the trip is $65 and is due, in full, on Friday of next week on April 1, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Wickham or Brian Moore (jwickham@conval.edu; bmoore@conval.edu).
Classrooms At ConVal
English 11/American Culture Studies teacher Spencer Fetrow debriefs with junior students their experiences at the SAT exam before engaging in readings-based discussions about the memoir The Glass Castle. The book tells the story of a family of nonconformist nomads who ramble through the desert towns of the American Southwest before migrating to West Virginia.
Students in Eric Bowman's Eastern World Heritage class work on their country culture projects by preparing a presentation that describes the culture of an Asian country. They also gather information on current events in an effort to learn how the past shapes the present.
Anna Muncy's Biology students are learning the structure and function of DNA. Students are learning the appropriate terminology (deoxyribonucleic acid, nitrogen base, phosphate group, complementary base pairing) to be able to learn more about genes and modern DNA technology in future lessons. In this image, students are creating a graphic terminology flipbook to use as a reference throughout the DNA unit.
Students in Frau Concannon's German I class learn to distinguish between formal ("Sie") and informal ("du") personal pronouns and explore the infinitive forms of German verbs, all in preparation for appropriate conjugation exercises. "Können Sie das?" (Can you do it?)
Greg Morris' AP calculus/physics students are working on the conservation of angular momentum. Students analyze circular motion based on the collision of a projectile and a stationary block forced to travel in a circle.
Students in Mary Goldthwaite-Gagne's 2D Studio Art class take sketchnotes and prepare for their midterm presentations while learning about contemporary artist Tanja Hollander. Hollander works with photography, video, and social media to explore cultural relationships.
March School Counseling Newsletter
Highlights this month include: an update on scholarship applications for college-bound students, a request to seniors to update their Naviance accounts, a link to the slide deck of the February presentation on "Applying To College 101" (target audience: 11th graders and their parents), as well as a calendar of upcoming events.
Students Register For College Board SAT Exam
On Tuesday, March 22, members of ConVal's junior class met in the Lucy Hurlin Theatre to complete the online registration for the SAT exam. Director of School Counseling Terri Drogue walked them through the login procedure using the secure browser on their school-issued Chromebooks. On Wednesday, March 23, 135 students successfully took the SAT exam which has replaced the 11th grade statewide assessment test since 2016.
Automotive Technology Program At Mascenic
In the Region 14 ATC Automotive Service Technology program that is held at Mascenic High School, students learn to diagnose, adjust, and repair the various systems of an automobile.
As the auto instructor Russell Wilson of Mascenic High School shared, “The Region 14 ATC program is providing students with career-driven curriculum to meet the needs of the automotive industries' ever-changing demands.”
“In addition to lessons learned about modern automotive technology, we are pleased to announce that an electric vehicle and some classics have been added to the shop. The electric vehicle is designed to be assembled through several easy-to-grasp modules and provide students with the principles necessary to enter into our new clean energy future.”
Students develop their skills by also working on older donated vehicles. “Our classics include a 1941 Dodge Power Wagon military truck and a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air,” Wilson continued. “These vehicles give students a glimpse into the history of the automotive industry. The 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air seen in the photographs is getting an engine swap with a period-correct stock replacement. Students are making amazing progress and are learning what it takes to do the job the correct way.”
Business Class Students Create Infomercials
In her Principles of Marketing Class, Deb Coyne checks in with individual students as they work on their project — to pitch a product with an infomercial. The course explores market research and marketing skills for products or services, promotion, and distribution.
Woodworking Class
Woodworking teacher Gil Morris works with several students on a variety of power tools, including a band sander, planer, band saw, and lathe machine.
In this woodworking class, students are introduced to the proper and safe use of hand tools, portable and stationary power equipment. Safety, material processing, project layout, design, and fabrication are emphasized. Individual student-designed projects are produced and finished after the required projects are completed. The course serves as an introduction to the Building and Construction Trades or Manufacturing programs.
Digital Photo & Video I Students Go On "Photo Walk"
Taking advantage of the warm weather, students in Lance Levesque's Digital Photography & Video Arts I class get ready to take a "photo walk." According to one of the students, "photo walks are always scheduled after major lessons. They allow us to apply what we have learned in class to the actual taking of photographs, either outdoors or indoors."
In Digital Photo & Video I, students learn the basic technical and artistic aspects of both photography and video art — individually and in collaboration with their peers. Students analyze lighting techniques for still photography and formulate scripts and storyboards for films. Students learn to shoot manually and are introduced to professional Adobe editing software, including Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere.
Athletic and Co-Curricular Updates
Congratulations to Sarah Holdredge who has been named a WMUR Hometown Hero! Click here to watch the 1:30 mins broadcast segment.
Spring 2022 Sports Registration is now open. All of our spring athletic schedules & updates can be found on the ConVal athletics website. Please come out and support our athletes and their coaches. If you have any questions, please contact Director of Athletics and Co-Curriculars John Reitnauer at jreitnauer@conval.edu.
Focus Groups On Position of Director of Athletics and Co-Curriculars
There will be a variety of forums with specific groups to gather information from the staff, students, and the community about what each of these stakeholder groups are looking for in the Director of Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities position.
Please join us:
- SALT Students: Mon, March 28; 10:15 am; ConVal Cafeteria
- CVHS Staff and Club/Co-Curricular Advisors: Wed, March 30; 3:15 pm; ConVal Library
- Parents: Mon, April 4; 6:00 pm; ConVal Library
If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled focus group meetings but would like to provide feedback on what you envision the Director of Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities would demonstrate as an effective leader in the ConVal community, please submit written input using this link by Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 12:00 pm.
Thank you, we look forward to your feedback!
National Honor Society and Student Council News
34 members of the ConVal chapter of the National Honors Society participated in "Read Across America" at Peterborough Elementary School on March 25.
The high school students visited with elementary students from pre-K through fourth grade. The books that were read to the youngsters and the activities that the students engaged in together were all devoted to the topic of "water."
"Read Across America" is an initiative by the National Education Association (NEA) to encourage reading. It originated as a single day event in 1998 on the birthday of popular children's author Dr. Seuss and has since expanded into a year-long program with special celebrations in March as National Reading Month.
Student Council Red Cross Blood Drive
The ConVal High School Student Council, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, hosted a blood drive on Friday, March 22 — the second blood drive of the current school year. The event required preregistration and was not open to the general public, but was organized for students and staff only. 43 people signed up to donate. The drive produced 37 units, meeting the goal of 37 units that will allow for 95 blood donations.
NHS Food/Personal Items Drive
The ConVal Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) organized the personal item/food drive during the week of March 14. Students collected three large boxes of food and personal care items. NHS Members Eva Calcutt and Laramie Wilson dropped off the donations to the Peterborough Food Pantry and they were excited about the donations.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Class of '22 Senior Shirts On Sale
ConVal Class of 2022 Senior shirts are now on sale. To order, visit tinyurl.com/2022seniorshirts.
The online store closes on 3/31. Shirts will be delivered to school for pick-up.
Show your class spirit and order your senior shirt today!
Class of '23 Merchandise and Bumper Sticker Fundraiser
The store is open until April 3, click here to place an order. Please note: You can choose to have the items mailed to you OR choose to pick up your order here at ConVal High School toward the end of April.
Also, show your ConVal pride on your water bottle, computer, or vehicle! Bumper stickers are $5 — cash or check payable to "Class of 2023."
Class of '24 Spring Vendor & Craft Fair
Class of '25 Fundraiser
Thanks for supporting the Class of 2025, a portion of each purchase goes to the class! Click here to access the online store. Once the store closes (March 25), all the items are ordered together. As soon as we have them in our hands, we will begin screen printing. We will be delivering your purchases to Mr. Morris when they are done!
Senior Prom Masquerade Ball
Ticket sales ($30) start in April!