Principal's Newsletter

April 30th, 2023

Good afternoon MHS families,

While it might be a wet start to May, it is exciting to be heading into the home stretch of the school year. We have a busy May with AP exams, MCAS, prom, and the final days for seniors. We also host our annual district visual arts festival in a few weeks, and we hope to have all of our athletic teams making a push for the state tournament.

This past week we hosted our inaugural Student Voice Summit where 40 students met in the library to brainstorm ways to positively improve and impact the school. Students were nominated by their teachers to take part and they did not disappoint. There were a lot of great ideas that were completely student-driven. The feedback from students was positive, and many are excited to participate in the next stages when we return in the fall.

There are a few new pieces of information below, so be sure to look at the new information.

Have a great week!

Senior Corner:

We are excited to announce the finalized list of Senior Week activities. Below you will find the dates and times of each activity. Senior families should have received a senior week mailing this past week with details of each event. Digital versions of the senior events letter and senior calendar are available by clicking the link to each.

Senior Week Activities!

Friday, May 26th-6:00pm: Junior/Senior Prom at Gillette

Tuesday, May 30th-8:30am: Senior Breakfast and Rehearsal

Tuesday, May 30th-7:00pm: Athletic Awards Night

Wednesday, May 31st-8:00am: Rehearsal

Wednesday, May 31st-10:30am: Senior Picnic

Wednesday, May 31st-7:00pm: Scholarship Night

Thursday, June 1st-8:00am: Senior Class Day

Friday, June 2nd-8:00am: Rehearsal and Senior Stroll

Friday, June 2nd-4:00pm: Senior Boat Cruise (leave from MHS)

Sunday, June 4th-1:00pm: Graduation at Xfinity Center!

Graduation is set for Sunday, June 4th at the Xfinity Center. We have also confirmed the time of the ceremony to begin at 1:00pm. There are no restrictions on the number of guests that can attend graduation.

Senior Celebration Parent Volunteers: The senior parent group is in need of volunteers for the senior celebration scheduled for May 31st. Please use this link for information on how to volunteer and details about the event.

2023 Lawn Sign Fundraiser:

Graduation season is almost here, and the Mansfield High School Class of 2023 deserves to be celebrated!

The MHS Senior Celebration Parents Committee, sponsored by the parents of Mansfield High School Seniors, are planning to celebrate the Senior Class of 2023 with a Senior Celebration Picnic on May 31st.

As in years past, one of our main fundraisers is selling lawn signs to parents of Seniors, relatives, friends, and community members. Please consider purchasing a sign to not only acknowledge your Senior but to also show your neighbors and friends that your family has something to celebrate! Your relatives and friends are encouraged to purchase a sign to support your Senior as well. Thank you for your consideration and support of the Class of 2023!

ORDER TODAY – Simply click on this link and place your order!!!!! https://forms.office.com/r/1AE44hnqTf

If you have any questions, please contact Dianna Feinberg – thefeinbergs@comcast.net or send an email to mansfieldseniorclasspicnic2023@gmail.com

Senior Celebration Picnic Donation Information: Please use the link to access information regarding the picnic and donation information.

Prom Ticket Sales: UPDATE

PROM TICKETS WILL BE ON SALE MONDAY, MAY 1st AFTER SCHOOL IN THE MAIN LOBBY

Prom Tickets will go on sale April 24th - April 28th; during all 4 lunches and after school until 2:30. Tickets cost $ 100.00 each. NO CASH. Unipay & Checks Only!!

Unipay will be up to purchase tickets on April 24th; not before. Please print out the confirmation of payment to be attached with the permission slip.

To purchase a ticket you must have your permission slip filled out completely front and back.

Linked here is a Prom packet with the permission slip. ALL permission slips must be signed by a parent; even if you are 18 years old.

If you have any questions or concerns; please contact ellen.dumont@mansfieldschools.com

Math MCAS: Reverse Half-Days

The Math MCAS will be conducted on Tuesday, May 16th and Wednesday, May 17th for all members of the sophomore class. Students in grades 9, 11, and 12 will report to school no later than 10:20am in order to be ready for the start of classes at 10:30am.

For students who take the bus, you should arrive at your bus stop 3 hours after the normal pick-up time.

MHS Active Minds chapter attends KyleCares Conference

On Thursday, April 13th a group of 23 students from Mansfield High School’s Active Minds chapter attended the KyleCares Conference at Gillette Stadium, along with advisors Lisa Buron and Vanessa Wehmeyer. This conference allowed for student mental health leaders from Active Minds chapters across New England to deepen their knowledge, skills, and training around mental health needs, particularly those issues commonly faced by young people.

At the conference, four Mansfield High School students assisted with the presentation of Validate, Appreciate, and Refer training. V.A.R. training teaches students how to be good listeners and engage friends in conversations about mental health. Students involved in the presentation included: Abigail Jean, Olivia Doherty, Mira Daoud, and Alana Echols.

Also at the conference were keynote speaker, Ivy Watts, who is a mental health empowerment speaker and author of You Are Worth Fighting For! Special guest appearances were also made by Patriots players Mac Jones and Josh Uche. The MHS Active Minds chapter would like to thank the KyleCares Foundation for providing such an amazing experience to our students. Please watch the video linked here to find out more about the KyleCares-WeCare Awareness Campaign. https://f.io/sbOReFT6


Active Minds Presents Members of our Active Minds chapter presented on V.A.R training at the annual KyleCares Conference.	Active Minds Members of our Active Minds group take a group photo at the annual KyleCares Conference.	Active Minds Presents Active Minds members present V.A.R training at the annual KyleCares Conference.

Active Minds Presents

Members of our Active Minds chapter presented on V.A.R training at the annual KyleCares Conference.

Active Minds

Members of our Active Minds group take a group photo at the annual KyleCares Conference.

Active Minds Presents

Active Minds members present V.A.R training at the annual KyleCares Conference.

Quiz Show Team Moves On!

Our High School Quiz Show team has moved on to the semi-finals! Be sure to tune in next weekend and watch the Mansfield High School Quiz Show Team battle the Warriors of Brookline in what promises to be a spirited semi-final competition. The match will be televised on GBH at the following times:

Saturday May 6th -- 6:00 PM GBH2

Saturday May 6th -- 11:30 PM GBH44

Sunday May 7th -- 1:00 PM GBH44

Sunday May 7th -- 5:00 PM GBH2

Town Election: Tuesday, May 9th

Mansfield's annual town elections will be conducted on Tuesday, May 9th at MHS. Similar to the elections to start the school year, we will be reserving parking spaces in the Senior parking lot for members of the community coming in to vote. Parking for seniors will be limited to the last row next to the grass practice field and the strip that runs parallel to East Street. Seniors that are impacted by the limited parking will need to park at Memorial Park for the day.

Communities That Care Survey

Students in grade 10 will be participating in the upcoming Communities That Care Survey starting the week of May 8th. The survey is designed to measure the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. It also measures a comprehensive set of risk and protective factors that affect the adolescent population in a community.

It is important to note that all surveys are completed anonymously and individual student results are not reported to the school in any way.

Surveys will be administered in grade 10 English classes. Any families that does not want their child to participate in the survey should print out and submit the attached opt-out letter to the main office no later than Friday, May 5th. The letter can be found here.

GSA Pride Shirts

The GSA is excited to announce that Mansfield PRIDE shirts will be available to order again this year! Join us in supporting our LGBTQIA+ community by ordering a shirt just in time to celebrate PRIDE in June. The design is not just for PRIDE but will make a great addition to your Friday Mansfield attire. Shirts are available in black and white in 3 different styles. Orders are available for home delivery (for an additional charge) or delivered to the high school and distributed by GSA members. Don't miss out- the last day to order is May 10th!

To place your order click the link here.

Yearbook Information Update

Yearbook sales have closed. To put your name on the wait list please email jennifer.martinelli@mansfieldschools.com. Yearbooks will be distributed to seniors during senior activities. All other books will be given out on June 1st.

The Yearbook Staff is spring cleaning and have several copies of old yearbooks. If you're interested in purchasing a book from 2008-2021 send your request to yearbook@mansfieldschools.com

Healthy Decision Making Presentation:

On February 15th MHS hosted Mrs. Rebecca Fidler for a parent night centered on support for parents centered around vaping and having conversations with their child about the dangers of vaping. The presentation was taped and can be accessed by clicking this link.

For parents that are interested in specific points of emphasis from the presentation, each section is broken down below with the timing from the video noted:

Education about Vaping ( at 6 minutes, 28 seconds)
Health Risks
Impact of Marketing on Youth
Prevention vs. Intervention (at 47 minutes)
Peer Pressure vs. Peer Influence
Communication Strategies (at 59 minutes)
How Habits Form and Lead to Addiction (at 1hr, 17 seconds)
Quitting Resources (at 1hr, 22 seconds)

Below you will also find a screenshot from Rebecca's presentation with various resources to help students quit vaping.

Various Vaping Resources

In an effort to combat the ongoing challenge of vaping within our school (and others), please take a look at and utilize the various resources provided below to learn more about vaping in order to start/continue the conversation with your child. Making progress in this area is a group effort, and we want to provide support for families at home with these resources.

General Info:

What parents need to know

Quick Facts about vaping

Vaping and the impact of Covid

Vaping can't harm teens?

Information on Quitting:

How to quit

This is quitting

Nicotine withdrawal and how to cope