MHS Newsletter
Your news source for Mansfield High School
From the Principal's Desk...
September 10, 2020
Dear MHS Students and Families,
Please find the information needed for the start of school next Wednesday, September 16th, 2020. Please click on the appropriate link for information specific to your cohort:
Hybrid Cohort- Students who will attend school starting remotely on Wednesday, September 16th and then move to Hybrid session in October. Most of our students are in this cohort.
Daily Cohort- Students who will attend school on the days specified in their individual learning plans. All students in the Daily Cohort will be starting remotely on Wednesday, September 16th and return to the building in person on September 17th (or as individual plans specify). Students in this cohort have been contacted by their liaison or other assigned staff person.
Virtual Remote Cohort- Students who will be learning from home all year. Students in this cohort registered for this option in August. Students will begin remote learning on September 16th.
This year, student absences for illness will be excused via physician's note or parent note/email where a wellness visit is not required. Please submit all attendance notes/documentation to the following email account: mhsattendance@mansfieldschools.com. You may forward notes, scan them, or send a photo of the document. Attendance will be tracked everyday for all students (whether remote or in-person) and parents/guardians will be notified of absences.
In last week’s newsletter I mentioned supplies for in-person learning (backpack, chromebook and charger, mask). Please add “reusable water bottle” to that list. Our water fountains must be shut down per health guidance, BUT our water fill stations are still accessible and students may refill their bottles as needed.
9th grade and transfer students, we are sending out the Orientation video to your gmail accounts- please watch it!
I appreciate everyone’s willingness to move forward into this unprecedented academic year with a spirit of flexibility, cooperation, and patience.
We are excited to reconnect with all of our MHS Hornets on Wednesday!
Take care,
Mary Watkins
Principal
School Counseling
With the start of the school year next week the school counselors are very excited to have students back in the “building” even though we are remote. We know that our incoming 9th graders are excited to start their high school careers and that our 12th graders are anxiously awaiting to plan for their future!
For our seniors and their families, this week will have three big communications going out via email. The first will be two Screencastify presentations for post secondary planning that will be sent to both students and their parents/guardians to the contact information we currently have available in Aspen/X2. Our second email will be to senior parents/guardians only with a survey to help guide our Virtual Senior Parent Night presentation that will be made available to senior parents on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30pm. Lastly, school counselors will be sending an email to the parents/guardians of students on their specific caseloads with the Parent Brag Sheet Google Form for you to complete to assist us with writing letters of recommendation.
Hopefully by now seniors received the mailing with a letter from Ms. Karidoyanes with information about post secondary planning and an unofficial copy of their transcript. If you have not received this mailing yet please contact Mrs. MacKillop in the School Counseling Office.
Athletics
Fall Athletics
Athletics at MHS will resume soon with the fall season which has been modified by the MIAA. This fall we will offer boys and girls soccer, field hockey, golf, and boys and girls cross country. The other sports typically played in the fall (football/volleyball/competitive cheer) have been moved to a new Fall 2 season which will run from late February to late April. This modified athletic calendar created by the MIAA will have four seasons, but none of the seasons overlap so you don't have to choose between sports and you can participate in all four seasons if you are interested. The spring season has been moved and will run from late April to late June.
Fall sports will begin on Friday, Sep. 18th with an informational meeting with your coaches to review expectations, explain sports modifications, explain protocols to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 and review student obligations before tryouts begin (physicals, Impact Test, registration). Tryouts will begin on Mon. Sep. 21st and games will begin the week of October 5th with a schedule that will focus on our Kelly-Rex Division opponents. Remember to invest in a large, quality water container before tryouts and have a supply of masks/gaiters for practices. A good supply of hand sanitizer is also highly recommended for your personal bag.
The pre-season parent orientation for fall sports will be held virtually on a Google Meet on Monday, Sep. 14th at 7:00 pm with Athletic Director Michael Redding and the Athletic Assistant Carrie Ciccarelli. An invitation will be sent to all families that registered for fall sports this week. Mr. Redding will review key information for fall sports and allow for questions to be asked from parents about the Covid Protocols and sports modifications.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
September 16- First Day of School (remote)
September 18- Rosh Hashanah (begins at sundown)
September 17- Senior Parent Night
September 24- Curriculum Night
Bus Information
About Us
Mary Watkins, Principal
Zachary Abrams, Assistant Director, Special Education
Abigail Barlas, Assistant Principal, Student Support Services
James Schliefke, Assistant Principal, Grades 10 & 12
Timothy Tichacek, Assistant Principal, Grades 9 & 11
Email: firstname.lastname@mansfieldschools.com
Website: http://mhs.mansfieldschools.com/
Location: 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 261-7540
Twitter: @MHShornets