Grade 9 Honors Testing Results

While May 1 was the deadline for course change and correction notifications, grade 9 (current grade 8) Honors test results are not yet ready for distribution. If your child took the Honors test, you will be able to request a change in that course once you receive the results. The letter with the rests and corresponding level recommendation will explain the process and deadline, will be provided to all test-takers once the data is analyzed.

Medway High School club hopes to give the gift of life

Medway High School club hopes to give the gift of life 

I am incredibly proud of the work that our students do to make our school, community, and world better.

Please be an organ donor!

Geek Out

Okay, this is not connected to MHS other than the fact that their principal is truly impressed. 

Building things out of Lego's is cool. 

Building things out of Lego's that does things is cooler. 

Building things out of Lego's that does something that I cannot do in less than 120 hours (estimate, as I have never solved a Rubic's Cube).  My estimated time includes me going to the store and buying another because I smashed the first against the wall.

 

Morning Drop Off

A friendly request: When parents are dropping their children off at the high school in the morning, please pull all the way around the circle so that multiple cars can unload at one time instead of three or four. 

Thank you!

And thanks to the parent that sent me an email to request this post!

Senior Scholarship Deadline April 26

All seniors: scholarship forms are due this Friday the 26th of April.  No late forms will be accepted! We recommend that ALL seniors submit the form.

2013-14 Course Request Verification

Classes of 2014, 2015, 2016:

To access the course requests we have in our database, parents should click HERE and click the blue Course Registration button and then Enter Course Requests. log in using your username and password (the same as used currently to access this year's Portal).

In the middle of the screen, click the Print Status of Course Requests button to view the courses for 2013-14.

The Core Courses (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language) listed have been recommended by the student's teachers.  Any questions or concerns about course level recommendations should be directed to the student's current Core area teacher for discussion.

Elective change requests should be submitted via email to the appropriate high school guidance counselor. All change must be submitted by May 1.

Please check with your child, to see if they have already made adjustments to the listed courses. Those listed on the portal are courses entered by students during course selection day. In a few instances, counselors may have made some changes in conversation with your child that are not reflected on the portal list.

If there are no courses listed, please contact your guidance counselor.

Class of 2017:


Will be distributed to current grade 8 students at the end of the day in homeroom on April 25.

Once you receive the information on paper, the information below is applicable.

The Core Courses (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language) listed have been recommended by the student's teachers.  Any questions or concerns about course level recommendations should be directed to the student's current (grade 8) Core area teacher for discussion.

Elective change requests should be submitted via email to the appropriate high school guidance counselor (below). All change must be submitted by May 1.

Last Name     HS Counselor        E-mail address
A-G               Mrs. O'Byrne         kobyrne@medway.k12.ma.us
H-M              Ms. Lisk                 jlisk@medway.k12.ma.us
N-Z               Mrs. Ford               cford@medway.k12.ma.us

If there are no courses listed, please contact your current (grade 8) guidance counselor.


Grade 9 Honors Testing (Class of 2017)
Honors Test results are not reflected in the course verification information. Once the tests are graded, and calculated, all students who took the test will be informed separately of the resulting level changes.

Letter for MHS Senior Parents and Students

Dear Graduates and Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2013,

As we approach the 2013 Graduation Ceremony, the Senior Prom, and the numerous senior celebratory events, we are sending this important reminder to parents and students to ensure that the next few weeks remain a safe and pleasurable experience for all.

Our last day of classes for seniors will be Monday, May 20, with senior exams following from May 21-24.

We share the excitement of graduation with all of you. Emotions range from sadness to euphoria and, of course, the perceived freedom from responsibilities. How quickly the spirit of emotions can change to reckless behavior. We have hosted events where the majority of our parents and students have heard about the potentially catastrophic ramifications of a single poor decision. That is certainly our worst nightmare this time of year. Please keep communication open with your seniors and be aware of all planned and unplanned activities during this busy time of year.

As we work hard to polish, clean, and set up for graduation activities, please know that, for these activities, all usual school rules and penalties apply.  For serious infractions, any offense resulting in suspension or involving drugs and alcohol will deny the student the privilege of participating in the remainder of senior week activities.  This includes participation in the Scholarship and Awards program, Class Day, and graduation ceremonies. Indeed, we want all our conversations around this time of year to be celebrations of success and not violations of school procedures and rules, and we expect our Seniors, as they have so frequently this year, to be model citizens.

Below we have a condensed listing of all senior activities. We look forward to seeing our seniors receive their diplomas on the 2^nd of June, as well as participating in all the events leading up to this spectacular day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Douglas Dias          Michael Rubin               Dot Pearl                  Christine Ryan     Sharon Aigler

Principal                       Dean of Academics      Dean of Student        Class Advisor      Class Advisor

                                                            Services

Friday, May 17                  Senior Prom                                                         7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 18              AlumniBanquet                                                     6:30 p.m.

May 21-24                        Senior Exams                                                       8:00 – 11:15 a.m.

Tuesday, May 28               Senior Outing, Hampton Beach                             8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 28               Senior Superlative Night                                       7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 29         Cap & Gown Distribution/Graduation Rehearsal    9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, May 29         Scholarship & Awards Night                                 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 30             Homeroom Competition/Senior Class BBQ           10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.      

Friday, May 31               Class Day rehearsal (Mandatory!)                   9:00-11:00 a.m. 
                                         Class Day Ceremony                                         12:50-2:30 pm       

Sunday, June 2                  Commencement, Medway High School                  2:00 p.m.

 

Alumni Banquet for Class of 2013

The MHS Class of 1988 is sponsoring the the 129th annual alumni banquet on Saturday, May 18, and all graduating seniors from the class of 2013 are invited to attend as their guest (free). For more details and how to RSVP, please click HERE.

Senior Responsibilities

April 2013

Dear MHS Senior:

The tone of this letter may seem somewhat blunt – there are a few things that you folks will need to take care of!

1. Please remember that it is your responsibility to take care of all your school obligations before graduation. You must return:

• All library books
• All textbooks
• Resolve any disciplinary consequences
• Resolve any debts to the school and/or cafeteria

To pay off debts, you must bring cash or a money order payable to Medway High School in the dollar amount to cover any lost textbooks, library books, school equipment etc. which you may have lost. You may also bring cash and request a receipt from the office staff.

Seniors who have not taken care of any obligations will not receive their caps/gowns until they have done so; the right to participate in any activities, including the prom and graduation, can also be revoked.

2. The graduation ceremony itself is a dress-up affair.

Young women, please wear appropriate clothing and shoes (no sandals, flip-flops or jeans) for graduation.

Young men, please wear dress pants, button-down shirt and tie (no sandals, flip-flops, jeans). Please be sure all clothing is appropriate for graduation.

Please be sure to arrive in the auditorium 1 hour before the 2:00 P.M. graduation ceremony on Sunday, June 2, 2013.

3. Graduation rehearsal and Class Day are very important! We use this time to review procedures and help you look great for graduation day, in addition to distributing caps and gowns. Please be sure to arrive on time for all rehearsals!

4. If graduation is moved indoors, space will be limited; we will provide tickets to each family, as our space is capped based on current fire codes and regulations. We will also set up to simulcast the ceremony in the auditorium and perhaps the cafeteria to allow for more people to be on campus. We appreciate everyone respecting those limits.

5. Most importantly, senior graduation is a celebration and a privilege. Please do not do anything inappropriate either at school or any of the senior activities which would force the administration or the class advisers to prevent you from attending senior week activities and, most importantly, your graduation. It indeed would be a shame to work so hard to reach this day only to lose the privilege of walking on June 2^nd.

We certainly look forward to celebrating with you throughout late May and early June. A lot of hours and hard work are going toward making your culminating events at Medway significant and memorable, and we appreciate your assistance and cooperation throughout your final weeks as students of Medway High School.

Term 3 Grades

Term 3 grades are now available for viewing through the Parent Portal.

Parent Feedback Survey

The annual parent feedback survey is open online and has been extended to Monday, April 29th.  You are encouraged to take a few minutes to help the school department learn what is working well and how the school department can improve.  Please click on this link to take the survey:  Parent Feedback Survey.

It only takes 10-12 minutes, and your feedback is very helpful.

Thank you!

Upcoming Medway Events

First, the Medway Clean Sweep is rapidly approaching. It will be held on the morning of Saturday, April 27, from 8-11. We will have a number of student groups involved, and they will be assigned to different areas of the town to assist with the town-wide cleanup, which is in coordination with the Town administration and Medway300. For volunteer information on town locations and sign ups go to [ http://www.townofmedway.org ] www.townofmedway.org . 

Second, Medway300 is kicking off the Community Art Fair on Mother’s Day weekend; May 11th and 12th at Medway High School from 10am-5pm!  Many Medway students will have their art work exhibited, ranging from 2D drawings and paintings to 3D art.  We are going to be joined by community artists, musicians and vendors.  Come support our community and school arts programs as we celebrate Medway’s tercentennial year!

Teacher Appreciation Day Help Request from MH&S

This message is from Milford Home & School:

Dear Medway High School Families,

The one time a year that we show appreciation for our High School teachers is approaching.  We would love to have your assistance with celebrating them.  We are asking you to provide any of the following items to make an enjoyable luncheon for our dedicated teachers and staff. 

______________    Salad (Tossed, Pasta, Potato, Cole Slaw, Fruit, etc.)

______________    Your Specialty (Quiche, Lasagna, Meatballs, etc.)

______________     Desserts

______________     Raffle Items (gift certificates, plants, gift baskets . . .get creative with friends and neighbors).

                                               Ideas for Gift Certificates:

                        Barnes & Noble                       Panera Bread 

Medway Car Wash                 Starbucks                                     

Dunkin Donuts                        Target

Home Depot                           Medway Café

Restaurant 45                         Coffee Sensations

Medway Gardens                   California Nails

Nail Perfection

______________            Too busy?  Then please consider sending a financial contribution which will be used to purchase a raffle gift or towards a platter of food for the luncheon.  Please make the check payable to MSHSA and just put it in an envelope marked Teacher Appreciation and have your child drop the check off at the school office.  Make sure to let us know if you want the money to go towards a raffle or food.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.  You can e-mail your response for donations for the high school teacher appreciation luncheon to Laura Whalen at tlwhalen@verizon.net.  Raffle donations or financial contributions can be sent into the school ASAP with your child or dropped off at the school office.  Food donations can either be sent into the office with your child on Wednesday morning, May 1^st or dropped off by 10:00 a.m. that morning. 

Thank you all so much for helping out with this.

Any questions?         Please contact your Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Volunteers:

            Laura Whalen at tlwhalen@verizon.net or 508-533-2963

            Kathy Skou at ekskou@comcast.net

Dress Code Reminder

As the weather warms, and the heady scent of Spring wafts through the air, I'd like to remind parents and students that we do have a dress code for students. From the Student Handbook (pg 65):

Dress

While Medway High School endeavors to respect individual rights of expression, inappropriate clothing that interferes with the learning process or violates accepted standards of school dress is not acceptable. Each student is expected to take pride in his or her appearance and to dress responsibly in order to uphold the standards of a school environment. Clothing that will be considered inappropriate can include, but is not limited to the following:

• clothing that causes skin to be exposed at the waist or cleavage to be revealed
• clothing that causes underwear to be revealed
• shorts or skirts above the mid-thigh level. Mid-thigh is determined as the point where fingertips end when arms are placed at the side of the body.
• halter-tops, off the shoulder, low-cut, and strapless tops.
• clothing with offensive or tobacco/alcohol/substance-related designs or logos
• hoods worn on the head are not permitted during the school day

Any student dressed inappropriately for school will be asked to correct his/her dress or will be sent home. If necessary, the student will be sent to the office and provided with a tee-shirt.

Ambassador Program

I am proud to introduce the Student Ambassador Program to better support visitors to our school and increase school pride, provide an opportunity for real responsibility (in alignment with our Core Values) and help involve students in operating our school. Structurally, this program will consist of two students located at a desk in the MHS Main Foyer throughout the school day to assist all visitors as they enter. 

The students were nominated for their position by members of the faculty, and students and their parents were provided a letter informing them of this distinction. 

As a result of the Program, there will be some procedural changes in order to allow the Student Ambassador Program to work.

Parents dropping off materials (e.g. lunches, books, papers, etc) can leave items with the Student Ambassador’s table. As is currently the practice, we will attempt to deliver the item.. If you let your child know that you have brought it to the school, please let them know it's at the Ambassador Desk. If you are dropping off money or valuables, please bring it to the Main Office.

Some things will remain the same, however: Parent's or visitors attending meetings will still check in through the Main Office and obtain a visitor’s pass.

Please know that Student Ambassadors are not allowed to let visitors into the building. This responsibility remains with the Main Office Staff.

This program will begin at the start right after April vacation, and if you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Medway 300 Clean Sweep and School Clean-Up

Please join our first annual community wide cleanup on Saturday, April 27^th from 8-11 am.  For volunteer information on town locations and sign ups go to www.townofmedway.org.  If you would like to volunteer for school clean-up just pick a school:  Burke/Memorial, McGovern, Middle School or High School.  There will be beautification committee member coordinators at the schools to greet you!  Please bring gloves, rakes, brooms, small gardening tools, tarps, wheel barrows, etc. In addition, this year the McGovern School will be holding a technology recycling program from 10 am-noon.  Students will be collecting used inkjet & toner cartridges, cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, MP3 players & GPS systems, which will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.

The Medway Lions will be hosting a free cookout for all volunteers at 11:30 at the Middle School.   

Please feel free to contact Kathy McSweeney if you have any questions or need additional information kmc6365@live.com.

Senior Skip Days- Part Deux

At the start of the school year, I posted my thoughts on 'skip days'. At that time, the students responded very well, and there were very few students absent on the date identified. With a few editorial changes, I am again posting our view on skip days:

I have heard a rumor that there is a senior ‘skip’ day scheduled and I want to clarify any inaccuracies about how the school responds to such incidents using our community Core Value lens of  Responsibility.

First, as principal, I have a responsibility to ensure that students are provided with an education, and as such, want to make explicitly clear that Medway High School neither sponsors or sanctions students skipping school. We want our students to be safe, and while some may not participate in dangerous behavior, too many decide it is okay to take such opportunities to make bad decisions.

Second, students missing class creates a burden for teachers, who plan their lessons with the expectation that every student is present. Student absences result in missed learning, including tests and quizzes. Tests and quizzes missed due to unapproved absences result in a grade of zero, which can have a devastating effect on a term grade.

Parents, please allow your son or daughter to take responsibility for their actions. Do not lie, and call the school or send in a note claiming that they are sick or have a doctor’s appointment requiring them to miss all or part of the day when this is not true. You are their first, and greatest, teacher, and such actions can lead students to believe that it is okay to intentionally mislead. We are not questioning your moral authority to teach your children, but ask you to work with us in teaching students that decisions have consequences, and, as such, allow them to take responsibility for their actions.

I continue to be impressed with the quality of our students, and have been truly impressed with the maturity and responsibility each has demonstrated as well as the parent support for their children and school. With this, I want to be explicitly clear to everyone, as you deserve nothing less, and share that your decision to skip school may result in loss of grades and extra-curricular privileges. Simply stated, we want you here!

Seniors who decide to skip school will not be allowed to participate in athletics, both practices and games. Coaches may also implement additional consequences. A lot of events are scheduled for students over the next several months, and I want every student eligible to participate in each one. Voluntarily not attending school can result in a loss of involvement in these events- something that you have all worked too hard to miss.

What a Home Means To Me

Literary or Multimedia Contest

“What a Home Means To Me”

Prudential Page Realty of Medway, in celebration of their 50^th year in business, is offering a contest to describe “What a Home Means To Me.” 

Three prizes are offered:

            1^st Prize: $150

            2^nd Prize: $100

            3^rd Prize: $50

CONTEST GUIDELINES

PARTICIPANTS:

• Contest is open to all Medway High students in grades 9-12.

LITERARY ENTRIES (essays, stories, poems, etc.)

• Must be typed, double-spaced and contain no more than 500 words that explains "What a Home Means To Me" should be emailed to ddias@medway.k12.ma.us .

MULTIMEDIA ENTRIES (audio, visual, etc.)

• Multimedia entries that that explains "What a Home Means To Me" must not be longer than 3 minutes in duration should be dropped off in the MHS Main Office or emailed to ddias@medway.k12.ma.us .

ALL ENTRIES for this contest MUST BE RECEIVED by noon on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Winners will be notified and information regarding finalist entries will be posted on the MHS Website.  If you have any questions about this contest, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Dias by email, stopping by the MHS Main Office, or by phone at 508-533-6643 x5104.

We look forward to receiving your entries!

Parent Engagement & Satisfaction Survey

We are conducting a survey of parents to help us both evaluate parent engagement as well as provide data for ways we can improve. Your input is important, so please go HERE to complete the survey. It should take only 10-12 minutes, and is anonymous.

Thank you!

Principal's Coffee Meeting April 9

There will be two Principal's Coffee meetings on Tuesday, April 9:
The first will be 7:30-9am
The second is 6:30-8pm.

The topic of the meeting is to obtain parent input on our school Core Values and Expectation for Student Learning.

Your input is important to helping make decisions on our school, and you would only need to attend one of the meetings (the topic is identical).

We look forward to seeing you on April 9th!