Weekly Cougar News
ConVal High School Happenings - February 17, 2023
Message from Principal McKillop
Good Afternoon, Cougar Nation!
Congratulations to all the students who give us reason to celebrate their accomplishments! We had a spotlight on music accomplishments last week, this week we want to add an additional music achievement and give a shoutout to the students in our German World Language program who achieved recognition on the National German Exam.
After concentrating on the "C" (for community) in our Cougar CARES behavior matrix for several weeks, we recently transitioned to "A" for adaptability. Our students have showcased this with adapting to weather-related events, class changes, schedule changes, and anything that is not a typical part of their routines.
Students proved particularly adaptable this week when we hosted over 700 students from other high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools to showcase our career and technical education (CTE) programs as part of CTE month; for details, please the CTE spotlight section below.
Earlier today, we welcomed 8th graders from both GBS and SMS to attend a career fair in the gym. Thank you to all those in our community who were flexible and adapted plans to make this event possible.
There is just one week left until our February break, and the week has been designated as a Spirit Week to celebrate our school culture. Students will dress up to different themes and celebrate by wearing their class colors.
We also have quite a few other events on campus that we hope you will consider attending. On Monday night, FCVA will host a "Mingle & Snack" event to share information about the wonderful services that this volunteer organization provides to our student athletes. Winter sports season is winding down with two remaining games; please see further details below.
There are rescheduled performance dates for the ConVal Theatre Arts production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
On Thursday, we will also hold our Spring Open House. We hope that you are able to join us and look forward to seeing you then.Have a great weekend, and GO COUGARS!
Best,
Heather
Table of Contents
Upcoming Dates and Events
Theatre Arts Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream (rescheduled dates)
Student Achievements
Classroom Snapshots
Spotlight on Career and Technical EducationRegion 14 Applied Careers & Technical Education
Career Fair at ConVal High School
School Counseling News
Crisis Text Line
Adult Diploma Program
Athletic, Co-Curricular and Club Updates
Urgent Need: Volunteers For Friday and Tuesday Games
FCVA Mingle and Snack
Dodgeball Tournament Invitation
Rock-A-Thon Raises Money For Music Department
History Club Competes At Hanover High School
Help Wanted
Upcoming Important Dates and Events
- February 20: Parent Night for Rising 9th Graders
- February 20: FCVA Mingle and Snack, Room 650 7:00 pm
- February 21: Book Club Meeting in the ConVal Library 2:30 pm
- Winter Play: February 22 (7:00 pm), February 23 (3:00 pm), and February 24 (7:00 pm)
- February 23: Spring Open House 6:30-8:00 pm
- Winter Break: February 27-March 3
Theatre Arts Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Please Note Rescheduled Performance Dates!
Love is all a tangle and no more so than at Theseus’s Roller Rink, in Athenz, U.S.A. Join the ConVal cast and crew as they time travel to the 1980s and try to solve the Rubik’s Cube of the body’s most important and mysterious muscle. Performances:
- Wednesday, February 22 at 7:00 pm
- Thursday, February 23 at 3:00 pm
- Friday, February 24 at 7:00 pm
We regret that the original performances had to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. Please email theatre@conval.edu regarding ticket exchange.
Student Achievements
Christensen Performs In All-State Chamber Orchestra
Congratulations to sophomore Clara Christensen who auditioned for All State in her instrument (trumpet) and qualified for the second year in a row. Sara placed fourth in the state and participated as a member of the brass choir in the chamber orchestra performance at the Paul Creative Arts Center at the University of New Hampshire in January. In this picture, Clara (left) is pictured with her sister Grace Christensen (ConVal Class of 2020) who is studying opera at Boston University.
Students Achieve At The National German Exam
German teachers Liz Concannon and Cindi Hodgdon are proud to announce the results of the National German Exam. Certificates and congratulations are going out to the following students — earning Bronze in level 2: Izzy Jobin and Nathan Klonel; earning Achievement Awards in level 2: Clara Christensen, Maeve Finn, Ronia Foecking, and Kai Reitnauer; and earning Achievement Awards in level 4: Jennifer Hopkins, Eva McCullough, Colby Sullivan, and Laramie Wilson. The National German Exam is administered each year to over 20,000 high school students of German. The exam is comprised of multiple-choice questions, a listening and viewing portion, and a reading portion. All materials used in the exam come from authentic resources.
Classroom Snapshots
Mrs. Bailey's Algebra I Part II Class
Students in Mrs. Bailey's Algebra I Part II began a new unit this week on simplifying algebraic expressions using the properties of exponents. Students investigated exponent rules by examining patterns in sample problems and confirming their investigation by turning and talking to their peers.
Mrs. Rushford's American Government Class
Students in Amy Rushford's American Government class presented their Call-To-Action projects on Wednesday. Over the past two weeks, students have been asked to research a problem in their community and create a Call-To-Action about the problem.
Spotlight on Career and Technical Education (CTE) 🔦
Region 14 Applied Technology Center
To access the information about the CTE programs at the Region 14 Applied Technology Center, please click this link.
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. To showcase the wide variety of career-preparing course options that are being offered at the Region 14 Applied Technology Center (ATC), middle school and elementary school students of the ConVal School District were invited to tour the facilities and connect with teachers in the various programs.
On Monday alone, 170 students visited the ATC to explore classes and see demonstrations in digital photography, woodworking, elementary education, business, computer networking, programming, robotics, and game design. By Friday, more than 700 students had visited the ATC, including visitors from neighboring district schools such as Conant High School, Boynton Middle School, and Highbridge Hill Elementary School.
CTE Month is a public awareness campaign that is hosted by the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. CTE Month takes place each February to celebrate the accomplishments of CTE programs and the importance of CTE for students of all ages.
Career Fair at ConVal High School
Middle Schoolers Explore Career Options
On Friday, 8th grade student groups from Great Brook School and South Meadow School were invited to attend a Career Fair in the gym at Conval High School. There were more than 20 community partners who represented six career pathways:
- Arts & Communication
- Business Management & Technology
- Industrial & Engineering Technology
- Health Services
- Human Services
- Natural Resources & Agriculture
This event was designed to integrate what students have been learning this year in their Career Exploration instruction using the Xello learning platform. Students had a "Career Passport" that they needed to complete by visiting at least three specific employers they are interested in and gathering important information about training and salaries.
ConVal High School Counseling
Course Selection Process For 2023-2024
Course selection for the 2023-24 school year is well under way! Students entered their course selections in PowerSchool this week, and school counselors will have follow-up meetings with students over the next several weeks. For other school counseling news, please follow this link: February 2023 Counseling.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741
You can also reach out by typing @CrisisTextLine on Facebook Messenger.
The service is here for any type of crisis and is available 24/7 for high-quality, text-based mental health support.
A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform.
Reach out to get the help you need.
Adult Diploma Program
Adult Diploma Program Offers Night Classes
ConVal High School’s Adult Diploma Program (ADP) will be offering night classes this spring to currently enrolled ConVal students and adults in the community who have not completed their high school diploma or are looking for their HiSET (formerly known as GED) certificate.
All night classes will run from Monday, March 6, 2023 – Monday, June 5, 2023. Classes will meet every Monday night, excluding holidays and the Monday of ConVal’s April Break (April 24th). Classes will meet at ConVal High School, located at 184 Hancock Road in Peterborough, NH.
The following classes will run this spring:
- Math (4-6 pm): Students/adults looking for credits across all levels of Algebra, support for their daily math class, support in SAT prep, or math practice and skill development may enroll
- English (5-7 pm): Students/adults looking for credits in English 9, 10, 11 or an English elective may enroll
- Social Studies (6-8 pm): Students/adults looking for credits in US History, American Government and Economics, or Global Studies may enroll
- HiSET Tutoring (5-7 pm): Students/adults looking to be eligible to take the Official HiSET Test may enroll
Students or adults seeking credits for more than one class may enroll in multiple courses despite the courses taking place on the same night. Students and adults are required to attend every Monday as well as complete work throughout the week.
If you or someone you know might be interested in taking night classes at ConVal this spring please fill out the Adult Diploma Program Night Classes Google Form. Filling out this form is essential for this program to run. For access to the form or to find more information on the requirements of the Adult Diploma Program, please visit: https://cvhs.convalsd.net/school-counseling/adult-diploma/.
If you have any questions about the program or would like to receive an ADP Night Class Application for enrollment, please contact Adult Diploma Director Tyler Mudrick at tmudrick@conval.edu.
Athletic and Co-Curricular Updates
Big News: This weekend Chris Robbins is one win away from his 100th career win in wrestling. We want to wish Chris the best of luck as he meets this amazing accomplishment.
Garret Rousseau and Ben Fraley came in the top 10 at states for slalom alpine skiing! They will both go on to compete at the Meet of Champions on 2/23 at Mitersol. Best of luck to Garret and Ben!
February 17: Girls Basketball will be hosting Laconia High School in the Cave. JV will have a 5:00pm start and for Varsity a 6:30 start.
February 18: Conval Wrestling will be competing in the NHIAA state tournament at Bow High School. The tournament will begin at 9:00 am.
February 21: Girls Ice Hockey will host Kingswood at Keene Ice. Puck drops at 3:00 pm.
February 21: Girls Basketball Senior Night vs Hanover High School. Come support our seniors for their last night in the Cave. JV will begin at 5:30 and ceremonies for senior night will begin at 6:15.
Coaches Needed: We are looking for a Boys Lacrosse Coach and a Girls Tennis coach for this spring. Please see our SAU jobs postings to apply or reach out to kproctor@conval.edu with any questions.
Urgent Need: Volunteers Tuesday Games
We are in need of volunteers for Tuesday's Girls JV & Varsity Basketball games. We need volunteers in the stand, crockpot donations, as well as pizza pickup. Each volunteer hour, each crockpot. and each pizza pickup is worth $ for any FCVA Team of the volunteer's choice. Click the SignUp Genius Link to join us.
Invitation To FCVA Mingle and Snack
If you are interested in learning more about the Friends of ConVal Athletics (FCVA), join us at our next monthly meeting on Monday, February 20, in Room 650 (above the gym) at 7:00 pm. There will be snacks, refreshments, and an opportunity to chat with FCVA members, volunteers, and parents. We hope to see you there!
Rock-A-Thon Raises Money For Music Department
Over 50 band and choir students participated in Rock-A-Thon at ConVal last weekend. The event raised over $4,800 to help fund Music Department activities. Activities included original skits, get-to-know-your-section trivia, basketball, blindfold dodgeball, capture the flag, and others.Food donations from parents included a nacho bar and a build-your-stack-of-pancake breakfast. The Music Department wants to give a huge “Thank You” shoutout to everyone who supported Rock-A-Thon this year.
History Club Competes At Hanover High School
The ConVal History Club competed in a National History Bowl competition at Hanover High School this past weekend.
While the team didn't take home a trophy, they did ConVal proud.
Pictured is the team from left to right: Charlie Savage, Colin Pellettieri, Aidan McClusky, and team captain Brianna Decker.
Book Group News
Book Group Meets February 21
The Peterborough Town Library/ConVal High School Book Group will meet on February 21 after school at 2:30pm in the CVHS library to discuss Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. There's still time to read the book and there are copies available for checkout. We usually meet for around an hour to talk about the book. There will be snacks! Questions? Stop by the library or email the librarians (ajones@conval.edu and/or rbowman@conval.edu).
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.
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