FRIDAY FOCUS
Monomoy Regional High School's Weekly Newsletter
Published: January 17th, 2020
Table of contents:
- Important Information
- MRHS News & Weekly Review
- Counselors' Corner
- Athletics
- School Calendar
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REMINDER: NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 20th
Midterm Exams are NEXT WEEK!
Wednesday, 1/22: HALF DAY (D & E block exams)
Thursday, 1/23: HALF DAY (F & G block exams)
Friday, 1/24: HALF DAY (A & B block exams)
On HALF DAYS, buses will depart at 12pm!
Welcoming Joseph Nystrom to MRHS!
Please welcome Joseph Nystrom as our newest Math teacher at MRHS! He is starting on Tuesday, January 21st. Get to know Joseph below:
JOSEPH NYSTROM
I have been teaching math since 2002 at various levels and places. After a decade in Worcester (my hometown), I had an opportunity to move to the Cape and grabbed it. My wife and I have three children. We love to sail and chill at the beach, so this was the perfect place. I hold a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a master's degree in Math Education and have begun my doctoral studies. I am looking forward to being a shark!
Upcoming PARENT UNIVERSITY event
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SHARK SHOUT OUTS
- Sending a Shark Shout Out to Alison Burton (8th grade guidance counselor) who is retiring next week. We have loved having you here at Monomoy High School and will miss your exuberance, humor and sincere compassion for helping your kids! Best wishes and please stay in touch with all of us! -Ms. Betsy Casey
- It was such a pleasure and an asset to have Luke Jodice (class of 2019) here at the High School during Mr. Cogswell's absence from the start of 2020. Luke was a tremendous help to me, specifically, with IT issues, and was always willing to "take a look" at whatever technical puzzle I put before him; thankfully he was effective with them all! Luke is punctual, approachable, and professional. His calm, straightforward affect, coupled with his knowledge and willingness to take on any challenge, made it a pleasure to work with him. Thank you for having Luke stand in for Mr. Cogswell. Just knowing he was here to help Luke made our days smoother and brighter. Thank you! -Janet Ferro
- Sending a Shark Shout Out to Sarah Wheaton for accommodating the Dollars for Scholars meeting for the seniors in the library this week. She cleared her Jawsome schedule so everyone could see the important scholarship presentation and helped us with the A/V issues as well. Thank you Sarah! -Ms. Betsy Casey
- Harwich Youth Services and Chatham Youth Services thanks the students who helped chaperone the Middle School Social on Friday, Jan. 10, at the Harwich Community Center. The students were: Noah Concordia, Annalise Langelier, Liam Jordan, Noah Metters, Kyle Gabri, Jack Archibald, Rory Carpenter, Olivia Hayden, Lilly Gould, Talia Perez, Jenna Greco, Liam Mawn, Josie Ganshaw, Amy Hinesley, Phoebe Gill, Yu Shang Zou, and Sarah Blake. They were a huge help and we appreciate them giving up part of their Friday evening to support younger Sharks! -- Sheila House, Harwich Youth Services, and Sharon Stark, Chatham Youth Services
MRHS senior Sage Barnes awarded 2020 Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Award for Academic Excellence
Each year, Superintendent Dr. Scott Carpenter awards one Monomoy Regional High School senior the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Award for Academic Excellence. This award is given to the high school senior who has distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence during their high school career. In selecting the award winner each year, Dr. Carpenter looks for not only academic success within our classrooms, but for demonstrations of leadership and initiative within the school and the greater community. MRHS high school counselors and administrators help with this selection, and for 2020, the team has selected Sage Barnes to receive the Award for Academic Excellence.
Sage was presented with the award at the School Committee meeting on January 9, 2020. Dr. Carpenter read the following remarks when bestowing this honor:
Sage Barnes possesses an inspiring work ethic, intelligence, and genuine love of learning. She always puts forth outstanding effort, even when life pulls her in competing directions, such as a school play, a singing engagement, or an AP study session. Sage manages to balance her commitments and is unequivocally always prepared. Her teachers describe her as “someone who has already developed a deep sense of understanding.” Perhaps what separates Sage from her peers is that she is much more than a “classroom student.”
Sage is a supremely gifted vocalist and musician and performs in numerous ensembles, both in school and in the community. To name a few, Sage is an integral member of the school’s prestigious Select Choir, Jazz Band, Ladies A Cappella, and Handbell Choir. She is a regular fixture on stage where she consistently holds lead roles in our fall drama productions, as well as the annual spring musical. Sage has extended her talents into the community through her work with the Academy of Performing Arts and Cape Cod Theater Company, where she is a student representative on the Board of Trustees. She has also amassed countless recognitions through the All State Music Festival, Southeastern Music Festival, as well as the All Cape and Islands Music Festival. Most impressively, Sage was selected as a backup vocalist to Kristin Chenoweth for her performances at Provincetown Town Hall!
Sage’s excellence has earned her many accolades - she was recognized as a 2019 Commended Student in National Merit Scholar Program for her outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. She was named a James Otis Scholar by the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates in recognition of her academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and interest. At Monomoy Regional High School’s annual Breakfast of Excellence ceremony last spring, Sage was presented with the Brown University Junior Book Award, French Book Award, and Music Book Award. Her commitment to community service has been honored as well - Sage received the Cape Cod Philanthropy Partners Outstanding Youth Award in October 2019 for her tremendous efforts towards raising more than $46,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Research.
Sage’s academic, personal, and civic accomplishments are truly outstanding and represent a young woman with incomparable intellectual promise and the desire to make an impact on the world.
Animal Welfare Club Learns about the Elephant Sanctuary!
Mrs. Doyle is passionate about elephants, and also a spokesperson for the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, the largest sanctuary in the US (3,000 acres) and the only one recognized internationally as a true sanctuary for elephants.
Currently this sanctuary houses 11 Asian and African elephants that were stolen from the wild and once used in circuses, zoos and fairs for years. This sanctuary has room for 24 elephants! In 2019 the Elephant Sanctuary celebrated its 25th anniversary! They also work with similar sanctuaries in
So. America and in Africa. Mrs. Doyle also shared with club members a typical "positive, gentle reinforcement training" used to help these elephants that were once abused. Thank you to Mrs. Doyle for helping us to understand more about one of the 3 keystone species of the world! Keystone species are those that can recognize themselves in a mirror!
AP Government & Kennedy Years classes visit Senate Simulation at Edward M. Kennedy Institute
Photos: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0yh8ahXweoJjiyqmGaKdPApag#Boston
Kennedy Years class travels to JFK Museum to work on their final project
Attention English Learners 🌍
Adult English classes will start on Thursday, January 23 at 5.30. The class will be in classroom A245 at Monomoy Regional High School. Any questions please call Ms. Mimi at 508 430 7200 Ext. 5820
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Seniors
On Tuesday, January 14, the representatives for the Dollars for Scholars program presented to the seniors during Jawsome. Students were given handouts with the details of the program. Extra copies can be found in guidance and area also attached here. It is the students responsibility to research, apply and monitor deadlines for scholarships. The more time and effort you put in now, will pay off in the future.
Scholarship Tips from Guidance
Junior College Planning Meetings
Parents and Guardians, please check your emails for a sign up link for the individual meetings with your child's counselor. If you are not able to access the sign-up via email, please contact Mrs. Casey at bcasey@monomoy.edu.
For those that had to miss the presentation on January 9, it was recorded and the slide show posted on the MRHS Guidance website. Please feel free to take a look prior to your meetings - you can find it at this link https://www.monomoy.edu/Page/3506
SATs
Sign up for SAT’s through the College Board and use Khan Academy to get some free practice.
SAT Test Dates for 2020
March 14
May 8
June 6
Aug 29
PSAT Memo to Parents
In order to reach our goal of 100% of students being College/Career ready, MRHS funded PSAT/NMSQT testing for every student in grade 10 & 11. Research demonstrates that students who take the PSAT in grades 10 & 11 give students the best chance for success on the SAT.
Greetings Grade 10 & 11 Parents/Guardians,
Your student took the PSAT assessment in October and the scores have come back for review. The guidance counselors have been in to visit your child’s ELA classroom to help them understand how to interpret their scores.
We were able to accomplish the following: All students have opened a College Board account where they can access their on-line PSAT score report. In addition, we reviewed a sample score report to help students better understand their results. We also returned the original exam books so that students may go back and “retake” the test (now that they have the correct responses). Finally, students were able to connect their College Board account to Kahn Academy for individualized and structured preparation. Data shows that merely ten hours of time in this program should help boost scores by nearly 130 points.
In order for you as parents to support your child’s improvement, I have attached two of the video excerpts that we used in the classroom with your student!
8th Grade
Mrs. Caitlyn Hall will be taking over for Mrs. Alison Burton as the 8th grade counselor effective January 27, 2020. Mrs. Hall is well known to many students as the Academic Center coordinator. We will miss Mrs. Burton and wish her well in her retirement!
Mid-Term/Final Exam Advice
Get a good nights sleep before the exams.
Plan a time to study and find the time that works best for you!
Take breaks and change up your habits - try flashcards, study groups, review old exams, access the resources available to you.
Stay motivated - when you are studying, remind yourself why you are putting in the effort. Focus on your goals!
As students prepare for Semester 2, please encourage them to utilize their Jawsome time to spend with teachers and making the most productive use of their time in school.
Best Regards,
The School Counseling Team
Caitlyn Hall - Grade 8 and Peer Leadership Instructor
Lindsay Ginnetty, A-F
Sean Burke, G-N
Jon Bennett, Instructional Leader, O-Z
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Athletics Weekly Summary
Written by: Emma Santoni
Monomoy had two huge wins this week. The first one came Saturday night when boys hockey won 2-1 against rivals Nauset. Wyatt Archibald had both goals and just missed out on a hat trick after a no-goal ruling by the officials. They fought hard for the whole game never giving up. The other major non divisional win was boys basketball taking down the undefeated DY Dolphins 45-41 in a nail biting game. They came back second half holding the lead from then on. Both games had huge student fan sections. Girls basketball lost a close one to DY 40-44.
Friday night boys basketball dominated with a full team victory vs Saint John Paul 74-25. The bench had a strong performance in the second half. Girls basketball lost to Saint John Paul 42-27.
Tuesday found the two basketball teams facing tough Cape Cod Academy teams. Boys Basketball lost to CCA 61-56 . Girls won against CCA 40-35.
Wednesday Boys Hockey lost a tough one against divisional rival DY 5-1. Girls Hockey had a great away win over Nantucket 10-5.
Athletics Upcoming Schedule
UPCOMING ATHLETIC DISMISSALS
NO DISMISSALS (Midterm Week)
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The events listed below are Upcoming MRHS Events!
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Friday, January 17th
Day 1 Advisory Jawsome Scheduling
LOCATION: Advisory Teacher's Room
Students are expected to attend their advisory Jawsome scheduling during their assigned Jawsome A or B.
Monday, January 20th
NO SCHOOL: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 21st
Midterm Exams - FULL DAY - PM only
Wednesday, January 22nd
Midterm Exams - HALF DAY of SCHOOL
Dismissal is at 11:55am.
Buses depart at 12pm.
Thursday, January 23rd
Midterm Exams - HALF DAY of SCHOOL
Dismissal is at 11:55am.
Buses depart at 12pm.
MRSD School Committee Meeting
TIME: 6:30pm
LOCATION: MRHS Library
For agenda and minutes please visit: https://www.monomoy.edu/Page/3390
Friday, January 24th
Midterm Exams - HALF DAY of SCHOOL
Dismissal is at 11:55am.
Buses depart at 12pm.
Monday, January 27th
Wednesday, January 29th
Day 1 Advisory Jawsome Scheduling
LOCATION: Advisory Teacher's Room
Students are expected to attend their advisory Jawsome scheduling during their assigned Jawsome A or B.
Parent University: Digital Safety & Social Media
LOCATION: MRHS Library
Topics include:
• cybersafety • popular apps and games •
• monitoring techniques • digital etiquette •
• laws as they relate to cybersafety •
• social and emotional impact •
Speakers:
Bill Burke, Cape & Islands Assistant District Attorney's Office
Jim Birchfield, MRSD Director of Instructional Technology
Melissa Maguire, MRSD Director of Student Services
Questions? Contact Joy Jordan at jjordan@monomoy.edu
Tuesday, February 4th
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Contact Us!
Email: mrhs@monomoy.edu
Website: https://www.monomoy.edu/Page/15
Location: 75 Oak Street, Harwich, MA, USA
Phone: 508-430-7200
Follow MRHS on Twitter!
Website: https://twitter.com/MonomoyRHS
Twitter: @MonomoyRHS