ORHS - Parent & Community Updates
December 2022
Notes from the Principal
It is hard to believe December is already upon us. I continue to say we had a "perfect" fall. We had amazing weather, outstanding fall seasons by our teams, great performances by our music and drama groups, and we are now off and running with our winter activities!
This fall we have spent time looking at data and talking about how we can continue to improve as a school, as a staff, and as individuals. Oakmont has always been a really "good" school from a statistical standpoint. We have always had many students go of and be incredibly successful. The question we are asking is, how can we be "great"? How can we get more of our students to leave Oakmont feeling extremely well prepared for what comes after graduation. Whether that be college, the workforce, serving in our armed forces, or any of the many of options students have. I continue to say to our students that above all, I want you to be a good person. I want anyone who comes across an Oakmont graduate to say, "wow, that is a really nice, well adjusted, kind, hard working person." To me, there is nothing more important. That doesn't necessarily show up on NICHE ratings or make the U.S. News and World Report rankings, but it is something I want us ALL being cognizant of as a community. I know we all try our best to help make this happen but I want us all to continue to EXPLICITLY work to send this message to all our students in every interaction we have with them. It is important, and it also helps us to create a culture here at ORHS that makes it easier to be GREAT in all that we do academically, and socially.
As a society, we do not do a great job of preparing parents to be great parents. It is usually left up to the luck of whether or not you had great parents, and a supportive family that helped show you how to best support your kids at various points in their development. There is certainly not ONE best way to respond to the hundreds of different issues that arise for us as parents as our children grow, but I have found that this resource, "Empowering Parents" is FULL of helpful advice on basically any scenario you can think of that may arise for parents. From bed wetting, to drug use, to depression, to explosive behavior, they have GREAT advice on how to respond and help you deal with it. I hope you will check it out when something comes up that you are struggling with as a parent. If nothing else, it helps you realize you are not alone. The page linked brings you to a menu but you can also just search for a specific concern you may be facing.
If you have not checked out the Oakmonitor, please do! The Oakmonitor full of great articles written by our students and gives good insight into things happening here at Oakmont.
Thank you for reading this month's newsletter and updates and I hope you and your family have an amazing, positive holiday season.
Most Sincerely,
Jeff Lizotte - Principal
IMPORTANT SURVEY
High School Schedule Survey
We are reviewing our current bell schedule at Oakmont High School. Our goal is to look at the pros and cons of the current 4 x 4 block schedule we have been utilizing since 1997. We want to take a look at what is working but more specifically, determine if there are things we can do to fix the things that are NOT working. We want a schedule that makes sense and that facilitates ALL our students to take a program of studies that will maximize their potential for success during their time here at Oakmont. We also want students to be prepared and to have as many options as possible for them for their post-graduate plans. Please take a moment to open and take this short survey. The data collected will be ONE part of our reflection process. Please note - The survey is anonymous and is NOT automatically collecting email addresses but you have the OPTION to provide your name and email address. Please respond candidly. THANK YOU! We appreciate you taking the time to take this important survey.
December Events
December 2 - Senior Cap and Gown Measurements - Aud 9AM
December 7 - 1/2 Day Early Release - Teacher PD
December 7 - School Council Meeting 5PM Lecture Hall
December 7-13 - Music Dept. Performance trip to Florida
December 8 - School Committee 6:30PM Lecture Hall
December 12 - Term 2 Progress report updates ORHS
December 17 - Deck the Halls event 2:30PM ORHS
December 19-26 - Hanukkah
December 20 - AWRSD Kids holiday party 5-7PM Lecture Hall
December 22 - Holiday Concert 7PM Auditorium
December 22 - “Town Hall” meetings ORHS
December 23-30 NO SCHOOL - Holiday break ORHS - Return Tuesday January 3rd
Fan Expectations Reminder
As we begin our winter sports season, this is just a friendly reminder to all students, parents, staff, and anyone attending our games that we follow MIAA policies with regards to fan behavior and additionally hope that everyone is familiar with the OAKMONT HIGH SCHOOL FAN EXPECTATIONS. Please read through them so you are familiar with our expectations. ~Thank you!
Oakmont Athletic Hall of Fame
On Saturday November 26th, Oakmont held it's 5th hall of fame induction ceremony.
Fourteen athletes, 2 coaches, 1 community contributor, and two teams were inducted.
Oakmont Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1998. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize the outstanding achievements of our athletes, coaches and volunteers and for those inductees to serve as role models and inspiration for the current members of our athletic department. Criteria for student/athlete inductees are that the nominee must be a graduate of Oakmont Regional High School, be out of Oakmont for at least five years, an Oakmont varsity letter winner, and have made a lasting positive contribution to the athletic program at Oakmont Regional High School. A coach must have coached at least eight years (in one sport) and be retired from that sport for 2 2 three years. Civic Contributor inductees can be chosen from anyone who made a significant, lasting contribution to the athletic programs at Oakmont Regional High School. A selection committee made up of past and present coaches and administrators and members of the hall of fame. Hall of Famers Dave Uminski and Dave Laroche were the emcees for the ceremony. Recognized were...
- Civic Contributor - Heather Billings
- Coach - Ed Fitzgerald - Ed has been serving Oakmont students for four decades, as a coach, and assistant athletic director.
- Coach Bob McGowan - Coached Field Hockey for thirty years. Coached track and assisted with boys Hockey as well.
- Coach Lisa Olson Rodriquenz - Coached cheering for 21 years with numerous league and state championship titles.
- Athlete - Kurt Kublebeck (1990)
- Athlete - Todd Bennett (1992)
- Athlete - Ryan Carney (1993)
- Athlete - Ted Chase (1993)
- Athlete - Jason Cook (1993)
- Athlete - Tim O'Day (1995)
- Athlete - Kara Smolinsky (1999)
- Athlete - Kalene Wotton Brown (2000)
- Athlete - Peter Normandin (2004)
- Athlete - Caitlin Hall Burleson (2005)
- Athlete - Jake Catlin (2005)
- Athlete - Alex LeBlanc (2007)
- Athlete - Jesse Hunt (2009)
- Athlete - Courtney Nivala (2013)
- Team -The 1973 Football team - Coached by Art Hurd, Bill Wyman, Win Dunn, Bob Weeks, and Dennis Driscoll. Members of the team were...
- Team - The 2009-2010 Bo's Hockey Team Coached by Ryan Carney and Assisted by Dave Napolitano, Jared Quinn, and John Boucher. Team members were...
Scott Atkinson
Jeff Brogan
Al Dombrowski
Barry Doyle
Bob Doyle
Kevin Cancellieri
Dave Copeland
Pat Cooley
Tim Fleck
Doug Garland
Bill Gould
Joe Grenier
Brad Johnson
Ken Keefe
Dana Krul
Jay Lamsa
Mike Landry
Mike Loescher
Nils Lucander
Jim Lupien
Doug Marchant
Tom Maylin
Steve Nims
Rick Noseworthy
Dave Palojarvi
Jim Perrett
Mickey Phelps
Scott Testa
John Tremblay
Gary Vincent, Captain
Tom Walcott
Chuck Wyman
Steve Wyman
Kenan Young
Steve Amblo, Captain
Nate Battalas
Jean-Luc Bergeron
Matt Biggs
Travis Bliss
Forrest Calder
Nick Carter, Captain
Zac Comeau
Ryan Flynn
Matt Foley
Zac Forbes
Jayson Gauvin
Shane Harrington
Mike McGee
Mike O’Regan
Aaron Testa
Alex King
Jared Paradis
CJ Shell, Captain
Jason Shell
Eric Woodward
Alec Zbikowski
SPARTANS of the MONTH
McKinley Chabot an Natasha Hood were recognized as our November Students of the Month
Congratulations to our November Spartans of the Month.
McKinley was nominated by Mr. Lizotte. McKinley submitted an essay to the MIAA Student Sportsmanship Essay/Multimedia Contest titled "How do courageous leaders demonstrate sportsmanship?" and won FIRST PLACE earning her an invitation to go present her Essay at the 28th Annual MIAA Sportsmanship Summit on November 10th. This is a great honor and a state wide recognition! McKinley did an amazing job reading her essay at the summit in front of hundreds of the States top athletes, coaches, and Athletic Directors.
Natasha Was nominated by Mrs. Bergin and her nomination reads as follows…”Natasha embodies three of our core values: practicing respect for all, clear communication, and responsibility. She consistently is willing to work with students who have a range of abilities and encourages them to be the best they can. Natasha listens attentively to the students, allowing them to express their complete ideas before offering any feedback. She demonstrates a sense of maturity and respect that allows students to feel heard and valued. She consistently makes her fellow students feel valued in the classroom. She is consistent in her use of pronouns in conversations with her non-binary classmates. Natasha deserves to be recognized for her gracious and empathetic nature. Great job Natasha!
School Counselling News
Seniors should have submitted all applications to four year colleges/universities by
Thursday, December 1st. To finalize their applications, they must do the following:
Seniors need to indicate on Naviance when they have submitted their applications by
visiting the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page, selecting the “Edit” button on appropriate
school line, checking the box that says “I have submitted my application”, and then
scrolling to the bottom of the page to click “Save”.
Seniors must request on Naviance that their transcripts be sent to each college they are
applying to by visiting the “Colleges I’m Applying To” page, selecting “Request
Transcripts” on the top right, checking the box labeled “Initial”, then selecting the
appropriate schools, before pressing “Add Request”
Seniors need to request that their ACT or SAT scores be sent to the colleges they are
applying to, if they intend to apply with their test scores. This can be done by visiting
collegeboard.org or act.org, logging into the student’s account, and choosing to send
scores.
Seniors must submit their appropriate financial aid applications. Every student should fill
out FAFSA, while some will need to fill out the CSS Profile if the schools they are
applying to require it. If you are unsure whether you need to file the CSS Profile, you can
either visit a school’s financial aid website or call their office. On each application, there
is a place to list the schools that the student is applying to.
Sophomores and Juniors PSAT results are expected during the month of December. We
will likely hold a meeting to distribute and explain test scores.
Adams Scholars
The Adams Scholarship recipients for the class of 2023
Students who score in the top 25% of their graduating class earn a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship which allows them to take advantage of FREE TUITION at any Massachusetts State College or University. This year's recipients are...
Michael Bedard
Erin Boc
Dante Botto
Ashlinn Broderick
Joseph Carlucci
Michael Carpenter
Olivea Carrigan
Payton Collette
Niev Collins
Caitlin Cormier
Avery Duteau
Cameron Farley
McKenzie Freel
Hannah Groncki
Nathan Hammond
Russell Hertel
Lydia Kreidler
Natalia Lamoureux
Benjamin Landry
Kamden Law
Declan Leclair
Ciara Lordan
Amber-Kay Michaud
Bryan Moores
Isabella Moran
Abigail Mulhall
Aidan Nelson
Madison O'Brien
Thomas Paine
Jack Roscoe
Iridia Rouleau
Cory Roy
Christopher Sanborn
Colleen Schubmehl
Ani Seppelin
Jada Sibley
Allison Smith
Isaiah Smith
Delaney Taylor
Catherine Telicki
Henry Telicki
Victoria Vallee
Autumn Voyer
Taylor Wagner
Kayleigh Williams
Helen Yan
Thomas Anderson Collection Honor Fund
The Thomas Anderson Collection was created to honor Tom Anderson’s years of teaching and of providing outstanding resources to students and faculty in support of Oakmont’s educational mission. Tom inspired and promoted curiosity and a love of learning. Tom was never alone in this pursuit, and
through the Honor Fund, we similarly recognize those teachers who shared in Tom’s inspiring work. Donating to the Thomas Anderson Collection to honor a beloved Oakmont teacher on their retirement or at their passing will help keep their legacy in the building and inspire new generations of readers, just as Tom envisioned.
Music Department News
Congratulations to the Oakmont-Overlook Marching Spartans on a spectacular fall season. The marching band completed their competition season on October 30th at the NESBA State Championships. The Spartans placed 3rd in their division with a season high score of 94.4. The ensemble also took home the top honors of best percussion and best Drum Majors.
The music department will be traveling to Florida next week to represent our communities. Our Jazz Band and Select Choir will be performing at Universal Studios on December 10th, and the Marching Spartans will march down Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom on Sunday December 11. Wish them a great trip and know they will represent our schools proudly.
Get Involved with SEPAC
General membership to the Ashburnham-Westminster Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is open to all AWRSD parents/guardians of children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans and other interested parties. We are in need of volunteers to help plan workshops, staff tables at local school and community events, become future leaders, assist other parents, and plan new activities and projects.
We welcome you to learn more about SEPAC and our work on our website, https://sites.google.com/view/ashburnham-westminster-sepac. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashwestsepac. Please contact the current co-chairs about getting involved with SEPAC at awrsdsepac3@gmail.com (Kim Caisse's email) and awrsdsepac4@gmail.com (Dorene Francis' email)
2022-2023 YEARBOOK
ALL Yearbook Info can be found HERE
REMINDER - Senior Parent Ad due by January 1
Parents can send photos of their Seniors from Elementary and Middle school for consideration for the Seniors Looking Back section. We prefer group photos with friends. Make sure you tell us who’s in the picture in the email. You can email pictures to us at: oakmontyearbook@awrsd.org
Anyone can help create the magic of the Oakmont Yearbook! If you take any pictures during events, games, school, or just friends hanging out, you can send them to: oakmontyearbook@awrsd.org for considered use in the yearbook!
School Council
The School Council consists of school administrators, parents, teachers, students, and community representatives who serve as an advisory committee, assisting in the identification of educational needs of the students and making recommendations to the principal. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month from October to May. The 2022-2023 School Council representatives are...
Administration:
Jeff Lizotte (Co-Chair)
Jennifer Spear (Ex-Officio)
Brian Cote (Ex-Officio)
Parent Reps:
Sarah Fichtel,
Holly Garlock,
Deborah Hooper (Co-Chair)
Katie Kamenski,
Jessica Mulhall
Faculty Reps:
Amy Dubovick,
Dan Dufour (Secretary),
Lincoln Stiles,
Jakki Therrien
Community Reps:
William Waight(West.)
Ron Putnam (Ash.)
Student Reps:
(Student Council and Class Presidents)
Helen Yan(Student Council President),
Ani Seppelin(Sr. Class President),
Cooper Carignan(Jr. Class President),
Harris Fagan(So. Class President), and
Brian Sandjong(Fr. Class President)
Reminder - Attendance Procedure for Tardiness, Absences, and Dismissals
Tardy
Parent note upon entry
e-mail to main office (oakmainoffice@awrsd.org) at start of day
Call to main office at start of day
Medical or Legal note trumps all and verifies missed time
Absences
Parent note upon entry
e-mail to main office (oakmainoffice@awrsd.org) at start of day
Call to main office at start of day
Medical or Legal note trumps all and verifies missed time
Dismissals
Parent email or note brought to office at the start of the day
Student can meet parent outside for pick-up
Parent may call but written notification will be needed for record. (email or notes)
Medical or Legal note trumps all and verifies missed time - They can be brought in after or faxed to 978-827-1413. (future appt. reminder cards do not qualify)
Any questions: please visit Attendance policy in the handbook
Student Handbook Focus
Consequences of Absences, Tardies, and Dismissals
- Any student absent more than 10% of the time from a semester class will receive no credit for the course unless documentation is provided showing that the absences should be considered excused. This means that students who have more than 9 unexcused absences in a full semester course will not earn credit for the course. Likewise, students who have more than 5 unexcused absences in an every other day course will not earn credit for the course. Seniors are allowed no more than seven (7) unexcused absences in a full semester course and four (4) for an every other day course during the second semester of senior year.
- For students who transfer during the semester the maximum absence limit will be ten (10) percent of the remaining days of the semester.
- In the case where a student loses credit for a course, the course grade earned will be put on the student’s transcript but no credit will be listed.
- In the case where a student receives a passing grade but no credit for a required course (e.g. U.S. History), as a consequence of excessive absences, the graduation requirement will be considered fulfilled. The student may have to repeat this course or pass some other course in order to achieve the minimum credits required for graduation from Oakmont.
- If students change their classes during the semester, the total accumulation of absences will be carried over into the new class.
- Any student not present for one half (1/2) of the school day (2 complete blocks) is ineligible for any athletic or co-curricular activities that day. This includes attendance as a spectator at sports or co-curricular events after school hours.
- A student is tardy to school if a student is not present in their assigned class when the 7:30 A.M. tardy bell rings. Students are expected to report immediately to the main office when they arrive at school tardy and complete the necessary tardy procedures for signing into school.
- Students will be granted two (2) 15-minute tardies a semester for extenuating circumstances.
- Parking privileges may be revoked or suspended for excessive absences, tardiness, or dismissals.
Appeal Procedure
Students with extenuating circumstances may appeal the credit loss to an Attendance Review Board comprised of an administrator, school counselor, and a faculty member. Students and parents/guardians should file an appeal for waiver of absences with the assistant principal within ten (10) days of notification of loss of credit; the appeal should contain an explanation of the extenuating circumstances and/or documentation that would excuse the absences. The Review Board will be permitted to waive or modify the attendance policy where, in their judgment, reasonable grounds for the absences exist. The appeal decision of the committee will be presented to the principal for final approval. Final decisions approved by the Principal may be appealed to the Superintendent.
Making up Missed Work
Students are expected to make up all work missed when they are absent from school or not present in class. Students and/or parents must communicate with teachers to receive assignments and arrange for the submission of assignments. Previously assigned long-range reports or projects are due on the established due date.