HRHS Faculty Newsletter
October 28 - November 1
This Week's Calendar
Day 7
Tuesday 10/29:
Day 6
Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness- $1
2:30-3:30: Faculty Meeting- Safety Presentation with State Police
Wednesday: 10/30:
Day 5
6pm: Gymnastics Senior Night
7pm: Band & Chorus Concert
Thursday 10/31:
Day 4
Halloween- Where's Waldo?!
Period 4- Senior Halloween Party in Cafeteria
Friday 11/1:
For Your Information and Action
PTSO: Please consider being the "T" in the PTSO. The next meeting is Wednesday, November 19. No meeting in December. After that it is always the fourth Tuesday of each month. All meetings are 6-7 pm in the first floor conference room at HRHS.
Study Halls: If you are assigned to a study hall in the cafeteria and the group is small enough to take to your room, you are allowed to do so (but not necessarily encouraged). If you are going to do this, ensure that you put a sign on the door and let the office know that you are taking kids to your classroom.
Holiday Party: The Hampshire Regional High School Holiday Party is scheduled for Friday, December 6. Please give Alesia $25 per person to attend. Partners are welcome.
MCAS Scholarships: The John and Abigail Adams and Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, November 13th during advisory and the first fifteen minutes of period 6. 40-50 seniors will be in attendance. The attendance lists will be available the week before.
Wear Pink Day: Wear pink for breast cancer awareness on Tuesday! $1 donations can go to Alesia in the main office.
Organizing and Chaperoning School Trips: The State Ethics Commission has issued updated guidance regarding public school teachers who chaperone school trips. The updated guidance is included in the Public School Teacher FAQs on the Commission’s website.
Generally, when someone other than the school district or the teacher pays for the teacher’s travel expenses on a school trip, the teacher must file the appropriate disclosure forms and have them approved by his or her appointing authority. These disclosures and approvals are required when using certain exemptions to the conflict of interest law, which otherwise prohibits public employees from participating in matters involving their own financial interests and bars them from accepting gifts and gratuities worth $50 or more that are given in connection with their job.
Although teachers may accept compensated or reimbursed travel for school trips when filing the required disclosures and obtaining the necessary approvals, they generally may not accept other payments or incentives given in connection with a school trip. For example, a teacher planning or chaperoning a school trip may not accept $50 or more worth of stipends or rewards, including travel points, from a travel company in relation to the school trip.
A public high school teacher recently paid a $7,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by accepting travel points and thousands of dollars in stipends from a travel company for organizing and leading school trips.
Additional information regarding how the conflict of interest law applies to teachers is available in the Public School Teacher FAQs.
The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.
Reminders
Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley Visit: The Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley will be here on November 13 during last period to give a talk about deeper learning. All are welcome to bring their class. If you plan to attend, please RSVP on this google form.
Staff Shout-Outs
- Thank you to Paula Czarniecki for always being so gentle and consistent with struggling students.
Collaboration and Engagement:
- Janet Baron is always willing to step in and help students and her team whenever needed. Thank you Janet!
- Shout out to Amy Cyr for your collaborative work to support all students!
- Thank you to Julie Abel for jumping in for last minute and complicated student transportation needs!
Respect and Compassion:
- Thank you to Susannah Branch for reaching out to help a student in crisis.
Students of the Week
Student Shout Outs:
- Celynes Johnson (gr. 7) has shown great improvement in art class. Way to go, CJ!
- Shout out to all of our wonderful seniors who have celebrated senior nights for soccer and cross country this week, and football a couple weeks ago. Your teams will truly miss you!!
- Adin Clifford (gr. 7) did a wonderful job asking for and making up work after he was absent. He was respectful and responsible. Way to go Adin!