Please join us for Coffee and Conversation with Mike Berry, Principal of Souhegan High School.
As we continue to partner with families and community members we will have a monthly focus regarding important topics, upcoming events, and how we are looking to fulfill the Souhegan High School mission statement in 2022. Each month we will also hold a “Coffee and Conversation” event to pair with that topic. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas.
This month's conversation will be in person at Souhegan High School on Tuesday, October 18 at 9:30 am. The theme will be Community & Family Partnerships.
Veteran’s Day
Souhegan High School is honored to again host Veteran’s Day programming on Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 11-11:40am in the gym. During this time SHS welcomes the community to attend as we remember and recognize our Nation’s veterans, active service members, and their families.
Cell Phones
Technology is rapidly growing in all aspects of society, and the availability and use of cell phones is but an extension of that increase in demand. Cell phones, and related technology, are being increasingly used as classroom tools for executive functioning organization, communication and learning tools. However, with every boon comes a caveat. Staff steering will be working with teachers, staff and students to research more about cell phones and their effects on academics, social-emotional well-being and how to handle use and misuse of this technology in the classroom and on campus.
To ensure student voices are heard, the Dean of Students will be hosting an after school meeting on Wednesday October 19th at 3:05, location TBD, with students to introduce and gain feedback on cell phones, and other related technology use, in the classroom and on campus.
Grading and Reporting
The shifts to assessment, grading, and reporting practices 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.
A Note on PowerSchool
Students' scores should be updated in PowerSchool by the 1st and 15th of every month. This does not necessarily mean that there will be new scores that impact the course score, but that whatever formative or summative work has been graded up to that point will be included, including Work Study Practices. If you are new to PowerSchool or would like a refresher, please click here for a presentation illustrating PowerSchool access for parents and students.
Please reach out to teachers directly with questions regarding course-specific grading, reporting and assessment practices. Any additional questions can be directed to the Dean of Faculty, Dana Curran at DCurran@sau39.org.
We are happy to announce that our senior Keagan Hitt has been named as a “semi-finalist” in the National Merit Scholarship Competition and will move on in the competition process.
William Upton and Ryan Syverson have been named “commended students” in the competition.
Congratulations to these students!
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
December 1 / November 2 - Wednesday
December 15 / November 10 - Thursday
Senior Yearbook Pictures
High resolution, vertical JPEGs of your senior are due no later than October 21st! Click here to upload them to our private photo submission link. If for some reason the link does not work and requires a User ID (this can happen if they use safari) the User ID is: 0jwfc8cLpKnxTwRrIDcKg-w.
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 is open all periods for students to work, relax, and get support. Need some help with math? Tara or Joann can help. Need help with an essay or reading a difficult text? Matt can help. Need a place to sit back, relax, and chat with some friends? The couches and chairs can help! Check the Learning Commons Support Schedule to see who is available which period.
Community council has and will be discussing Tony’s Parking Proposal. If this proposal gets passed students will be randomly assigned parking spaces at the beginning of the year. Let your grade reps know your thoughts or come to the next meeting on 10/17.
Our next meeting will be Monday, October 17th in the Information Center from 3:05-3:45 where we will continue discussion on the proposal. Here is a link to the full meeting calendar for the year.
The next Saber Spotlight will be held on October 17th.
Click here to view information from the latest Saber Spotlight that was held on Monday, October 3rd!
