Principal's Newsletter
MARCH 2019
From the Principal's Desk - Kristen S. Vogel
There are only 3 weeks until 160 seniors will begin a seven week journey and exploration on their Senior Project! All of these seniors have chosen either a research project, an internship, or community service project because it is a topic or area they are interested in or passionate about. These seven weeks are a culmination of their K-12 education and represent students making connections and experiencing authentic education. This is a big reason why we have the Senior Project option for our students. A sense of purpose is really important as they embark on higher education and/or a career. They are more likely to choose a major or a career that has meaning to them when it feels purposeful. The senior project gives students the opportunity to find purpose in work or research. And at the end of the project they will have to be able to talk about the purpose of their work or research at an exhibition. Last year the Wall Street Journal published an article, called "Why Teens Need a Sense of Purpose". The article presents some interesting research about engagement levels among teenagers and the importance of both parents and schools in fostering a sense of purpose. The research shows that students who have a purpose for what they are doing are more engaged. At TMHS, we are proud of our work at building a sense of purpose for our students before they graduate! This month we recognized 81 senior members of National Honor Society and 68 new inductees. All of these students had to participate in individual community service projects and/or participate in chapter community service projects. Also, many of our students participate in community service projects either as members of a club or as a member of an athletic team. However, they also find purpose through projects of their own design. There are two examples below of students who found purpose through creating a school for students in Kenya and by organizing a voter registration drive! Giving back to their community, the global community, or to the school is one way that students develop and foster their sense of purpose. And now with Senior Project we are providing an opportunity for students to fully engage in a purposeful internship or project. Before your student becomes a senior, we encourage you to talk with them about what they are passionate about and plant some seeds for a future senior project!
Here is the link to the full article, "Why Teens Need a Sense of Purpose." https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-teens-need-a-sense-of-purpose-1518264001
Third Quarter Report Cards
Starting with this quarter you will be able to access an electronic version of your student's report card through Aspen. We will no longer send them home with students. They will be available in Aspen on April 12th. Here are the directions for how to access the report card in Aspen:
If you would like a paper version of your student's report card, please email Pat Whitehouse at pwhitehouse@tewksbury.k12.ma.us and we will have one ready for you to pick up.
Congratulations to the Math Team!
Congrats to the TMHS Math Team which won the Massachusetts Mathematics League Division 3 playoffs last Thursday at Lynnfield High School! The Tewksbury team beat teams from Burlington, Central Catholic, Hamilton-Wenham, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Masconomet, and Pope John XXIII, with great performances by all mathletes.
Action & Team Photography From O'Connor Studios
O'Connor Studios provides candid photography service to TMHS. All of our team and action photos are available to view and purchase online.
Click here to view the candid pictures taken from all of our great sports teams.
Channel 5 A+ Student Segment
We are so very proud of Emily Chmela'19 and Emma Scopa'19 who worked diligently to build an additional classroom building for a village in Kenya, Africa. The children in this village are only able to attend school through grade 4 because they do not have the space for additional grades. Emily and Emma started a Go Fund Me page to raise money to build the classroom this past fall. They were featured for their work by the Lowell Sun this winter and most recently by Channel 5 who chose them for their A+ Student segment! Here is the link to the A+ Student segment that ran on Thursday, March 14th.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/a-plus-tewksbury-memorial-high-s-emma-scopa-and-emily-chmela/26828770
Voter Registration Drive at TMHS
Senior Rosalyn Impink organized and ran a voter registration drive at TMHS from March 4th to March 14th. As a result, 76 students completed voter registration applications! Students age 18 and older were eligible to register for the upcoming local town election on April 6th and town meeting on May 6th, and students age 16 and 17 were eligible to pre-register for automatic registration on their 18th birthday. Mrs. Maia and Mr. Zimmerman in the TMHS library collected mail-in forms that were delivered to the Town Clerk, and several students registered online.
TMHS Robotics News
It was another exciting weekend for Team 1474 - Titans led by Mr. Morris. We attended New England district competition #2 at Revere High School this weekend and were ranked #3 overall, a quarterfinalist in the competition and won the Industrial Design award!
This event added another 38 points to our district tally, putting the team at a total score of 79, which is currently 19th in the New England district of 203 teams.
These accomplishments qualify the team for participation in the New England district championship at WPI on April 10th-13th.
The team's hard work and perseverance are really paying off this year. These are the first two awards ever received by the team and the first time they've qualified for the New England championship in many years.
We should all be proud of the team and their accomplishments this season, all of which could not have been achieved without the support of TMHS and our faculty mentors, Michael Hancock and Margaret Murray.
Congratulations to Athletic Director Ron Drouin!
Athletic Department News
Congratulations goes out to the Massachusetts Division 1 Girls Ice Hockey State Champion Team the Red Rangers!
Congratulations goes out to Division 2 North Champions and State Runner Up Boys Ice Hockey Team!
Another Congratulations to Girls Basketball Team....Division 2 North Runner Up!
All Scholastic Boston Globe and Boston Herald Awards
Makayla Paige'21 - Indoor Track Team
Julia Masotta'19 - Ice Hockey Dream Team
Cassidy Gruning'19 - Ice Hockey Dream Team
Boston Herald All Scholastic Awards
Michael Arsenault'19 - Boys Ice Hockey Team
Erin Gallella'19 - Girls Basketball Team
Congratulations to Makayla Paige'21 on setting the Mass and New England All Time Record in the 600M Run......Amazing!
Congratulations to Andrew Froio'19 Division III Shot Put State Champion!
Congratulations to Dylan Chandler'20 Heavyweight Division 2 Sectional Champ!
Kyle Lombardo'19 received the Boston Bruins Sportmanship Award, Kyle was honored at the TD Garden in between periods of a Bruins Game....Wow!
Congratulations to Coaches of the Year
Mark Bradley - Girls Basketball Team
Derek Doherty - Boys Ice Hockey Team
Peter Molloy - Indoor Track Team
News from World Language Department
As a cumulative activity for their art unit, the French 4 and Spanish 4 students attended a field-trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. A highlight of the visit was a guided tour. To encourage students to look closely at the art, their teachers gave them a photo challenge. The challenge was for students to photograph themselves imitating a piece of art. There were so many good photos, it is hard to pick only a few to share!
World Language Culture Fair – 2019
On March 19th we celebrated multicultural week by inviting the community to visit our expo featuring projects from the French and Spanish speaking worlds. The visitors traveled through several different countries, learned about topics such as cuisine, sports, dance, artists and also went back in time and learned how to dress in a toga.
The World Language Department would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the families, friends, administrators, and community members who came out in support of our students!
International Club
The underclassmen members of the club helped set-up and decorate for the culture fair. They also did a fantastic job welcoming our guests, organizing the photo contest and selling snacks.
National Honor Society Induction
The TMHS National Honor Society Induction Ceremony took place on Tuesday evening, March 12th.
March Hats Off Award
Congratulations to Connor Nugent'19 and Samantha Salvaggio'19 for the Tewksbury Rotary Club March 2019 Hats Off Award. These two outstanding seniors were honored at a Rotary Club Luncheon on Thursday, March 21st at Tewkwbury Memorial High School.
The award recognizes those students who have distinguished themselves academically, have contributed to the co-curricular program at the High School, and have been actively involved in the community.
TMHS Theater Company
The Tewksbury Memorial Theater Company competed at the preliminary round of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) One Act Festival on March 2nd at The Broomfield School of Harvard, MA with their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students rehearsed twice a week preparing for the festival. At rehearsals, students worked tirelessly with directors Jade Scarpa and Connor Mangan'19 to perfect and interpret the complicated Shakespearean language. While acting and blocking rehearsals continued, the crew worked weekly to build the complex set consisting of a large rotating cabin and other aesthetic production elements. The crew also had to practice their build up and take down, because one of the requirements for a high school festival is that the set must be assembled and disassembled within five minutes. The show ended up receiving numerous accolades including acting awards for Francesca Ligotti'19 for playing the charismatic Helena, and Brendan Flynn'20 for playing Nick Bottom. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!
Music
The Music in Our Schools Festival was held at TMHS on Sunday, March 3rd and featured the music ensembles from the Ryan School, Wynn Middle School, and TMHS. The event was filled with a wide range of performances. The day began with a performance by the TMHS Winter Color Guard performing their 2019 show Carousel. The event then moved to the cafeteria where students were able to participate in an open mic. Students showed a wide range of talent including playing several instruments such as the piano and trumpet, as well as singing. The event then moved into the auditorium where the Ryan School Band & Wynn Middle School Band played their Spring Concert selections conducted by Mr. Tim Olevsky, as well as the TMHS Band who played their selection The Light Eternal conducted by Ms. Heather Ware. The afternoon was a great success filled with lovely music. Thank you to our music teachers Ms. Heather Ware and Mr. Tim Olevsky for their efforts!
Spring Senior Art Exhibit
Ms. Arnold’s Senior Art Studio Class held an opening reception for their Spring Senior Art Exhibit on Thursday, March 7th from 4-6:00pm at Villa Roma Pizza on Main Street in Tewksbury. The exhibit displays the talent, hard work, and dedication of the Senior Art Studio Class. The night was a success filled with tasty pizza and numerous art pieces seen by the public. You can still catch the show at the restaurant through April! Thank you Ms. Arnold and the proprietors of Villa Roma for making the night a success!
Upcoming Fine and Performing Arts Events
Music Department
The NESBA Winter Color Guard Championships will be held on Saturday, March 30th at Salem High School in Salem, MA. Affinity Winter Color Guard will perform at 3:30pm. Affinity appreciates your support!
TMHS Theater Company presents Godspell, a musical
In the Dr. Christine L. McGrath Performing Arts Center
Thursday, April 25th at 7:00pm
Friday, April 26th at 7:00pm
Saturday, April 27th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Tickets will be sold at the door. Students - $7 and Adults -$10
35th Annual Tewksbury District Art Show
Featuring art students K-12
Friday, May 10th from 6:30-9:00pm
6:30-7:30pm Band & Chorus Concert
In the Dr. Christine L. McGrath Performing Arts Center
7-9:00pm Public Showing of Art Exhibit in the TMHS cafe
Saturday, May 11th from 10:00am-2:00pm
Public Showing of Art Exhibit in the TMHS cafe
Tewksbury’s Got Talent! Talent Show
Thursday, May 16th at 7:00pm in the Dr. Christine L. McGrath Performing Arts Center
TMHS Marching Band Clinic
All students grades 5-12 are welcome!
Sunday, June 2nd from 9:00am-3:00pm in the TMHS Gymnasium
Band & Chorus performing at TMHS Graduation
Friday, June 7th at 6:00pm TMHS Gymnasium
She’s the First & GSA
The She’s the First club and the GSA club attended the 2019 Connection Conference at Sutton High School on March 14th. Ms. Daniel & Ms. LaPierre took their clubs respectively to the conference to learn about making their school and community a place where everyone is respected and included. Through workshops and activities, the conference aimed to show everyone the power of having an open mind. A notable figure in the conference was Dr. Bettina L. Love who was the keynote speaker for the conference. She is an accomplished and award-winning author and also an Associate Professor of Educational Theory & Practice at the University of Georgia. She is an advocate for teaching social justice in and out of the classroom. The day contained several workshops for students and teachers to teach about social justice and connecting in social groups. Overall, the day was a success and great learning experience.
The two groups will be working together to host our own Equity conference at TMHS next December. The students are very excited to get started on planning and creating an equally as impactful day for students from TMHS and the other schools we will be hosting.
Students in attendance:
Left to Right:
Maria da Silva'21
Conor Moynihan'21
Caesar (Max) Barboa'21
Hailey Furilla'21
Kaitlin MacDonald'21
Kiara Bradley'20
Amanda Clarke'19
Jasmine Won'20
Aidan Crawson'22
Courtney Frelix'21
Calendar of Events
April
3 Grades Close
11 Hats Off 12:15pm TCC
11 Junior Prom at Tewksbury Country Club
12 Half Day
12 Report Cards Available in Aspen
15-19 April Recess
25-27 Musical - Godspell 7:00pm
26 Admin Chat 7:30am
27 Musical Matinee 2:00pm
29 School Council Meeting 3:00pm
May
2 Half Day
3 Senior Midterm
6 AP US Gov exam 8:00am
7 AP Spanish exam 8:00am
8 AP English Lit exam 8:00am
9 AP Chem exam 8:00am
9 AP Psych exam 12:00pm
10 Art Show 7-9:00pm
10 Spring Concert 6:30pm
10 AP US History exam 8:00am
13 AP Bio exam 8:00am
14 AP Calc exam 8:00am
16 AP Stats exam 12:00pm
16 Hats Off 12:15pm TCC
16 Talent Show 7:00pm
17 AP Microeconomics exam 8:00am
17 AP Latin exam 12:00pm
20 Progress Reports
21-22 MCAS Math
23 Scholarship and Awards Night
24 Half Day
24 Eighth Grade Step Up Day
27 No School - Memorial Day
30 Academic Excellence Award Ceremony 12:45pm
31 Senior Project Expo 8-10:30am
Tewksbury Memorial High School
Website: https://www.tewksbury.k12.ma.us/high/
Location: 320 Pleasant Street, Tewksbury, MA, United States
Phone: 978-640-7825
Twitter: @tmhstweets