December 26th

As the clock winds down on the year 2014 we had another great month here at Monson High School. After a very powerful night with Chris Herren, we were fortunate enough to host an evening for Veterans and thier families to work on financial literacy skills thorugh the generous support of Monson Savings Bank.  We are so forutnate to benefit frequently from their support, they are wonderful neighbors.

My wife and I had a great morning with our children at the Monson Athleric Booster annual breakfast with Santa.  It was nice to see so many of our student athletes volunteering thier time for the young children in the community.

Our students got in to the spirit of the holidays by participating in the annual SAP wreath decorating contest.  They also took the time to send holiday cards to the troops in addition to many of them contributing gifts for the children of Monson in need.  Spirits were high as the student council handed out candy canes as the school emptied for the start of the holiday break.

As we look forward to the new year and to the second half of the 2014-2015 school year I ask for your help in thinking about the future.  At the high school over the next year we are going to take a look at our block scheduling format and make a determination as a community about if it should be changed or remain the same.  I am looking for volunteers to join a committee I will be forming in the New Year to begin that process.  Please take a moment to answer two questions on the topic here.  If you are interested in being a part of this process please contact the main office.  I want ot be clear that the schedule will be no different in the 2015-2016 school year.  In closing I wish you and your familes a happy and healthy new year!

December 8th 2014

Last week was one filled with excitement here at the high school.  Our winter athletic season is officially under way as are play rehersals.  Some of our seniors are begining to hear back from colleges.  We are all wearing a few extra layers as winter descends upon our school and we look exctiedly toward the holiday season.

On Thursday night we had the extremely fortunate opportunity to host an evening with former NBA player and Boston Celtic Chris Herren.  For an hour and a half more than 400 people in the gymnasium hung on his every word as he encouraged the community to learn from some of his mistakes and to make responsible choices in an effort to avoid the perils of alcholism and addicition.

His remarks made quite an impact on the communtiy and resonated with many of our students.  This was an incredible event and we hope to have Mr. Herren back some time in the future to address the entire student body.  Special thanks goes to Monson HEARS, The Monson Athletic Boosters, and Country Bank for making this event possible.

I am delighted to announce we will be hosting another communtiy event tomorrow night December 9th for Veterans.  Monson Savings bank will be hosting a free financial literacy event from 5:30-7:30.  Their will be free childcare and refreshments will be served, I hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few thoughts entered my mind as I paused to admire the view outside of Mr. Sitnik’s room the morning after the first snowstorm of the year.  The first was of disbelief because in what seems like the blink of an eye, we already find ourselves at the beginning of the 2014 holiday season.  Where did the time go?

The second was one that has remained with me and grown over the Thanksgiving Holiday: gratitude.  My mind processed all of the incredible times and wonderful people I have been fortunate enough to experience since the beginning of the school year.  From greeting our Freshmen and their families in August, to sitting through a freezing night of soccer in late November cheering in the Boys and Girls 2014 Western Massachusetts Champions, and every classroom visit and conversation with a student, faculty, or community member in between, this has unequivocally been the most meaningful professional experience of my career and my heartfelt thanks goes out to all that have been a part of it. This is a truly special place and I believe strongly that our school’s best days lay ahead!

In closing, I would like to invite all of you to a very special community event at the High School this Thursday, December 4th at 6:00pm.  We are delighted to be able to present in conjunction with Monson HEARS and through the generous support of the Monson Athletic Boosters and Country Bank, an evening with former NBA player Chris Herron.  Chris will share his personal story of addiction and recovery that has been an inspiration to people all over the country.  I hope to see you then!

October

It has been a great October at Monson High School.  Both our Girls and Boys Soccer teams have finished strong regular seasons and are getting ready for the playoffs.  The Boys and Girls Cross Country runners had an impressive showing at their final home meet of the season defeating both Palmer and Southwick.  The Golf Team even had a hole in one!

In academics, our senior class set a new school record for the number of students awarded the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship for strong performance on the MCAS!  I am so proud of our students accomplishments in our classrooms and beyond.

I look forward to getting the One Act Festival up and running in the coming weeks and of course to take in our student's performances.

This week the first term will be ending for Semester One.  If you have questions or concerns about your child's performance, I strongly encourage you to reach out to their teachers and partner up with them in strategizing how your child can improve in their class.

This Saturday night, will be the Halloween dance from 7-10pm.  The cost is $7.00 or $6.00 with a canned good for MHS students.  I will be sure to bring my camera and update the blog this weekend with costume pictures.

Week of September 28th

This week the Monson High School community welcomed its newest member, Officer Bryan Ellithorpe of the Monson Police Department; he joined us as the School Resource Officer. Legislation passed over last summer mandates that all communities in Massachusetts have a police officer assigned to the schools.  Officer Ellithorpe will have an office in the gymnasium and his work will focus on School Safety, Drug and Alcohol Education, and Community Outreach.  He will split time between our three schools.

He is a volunteer with the Shriners and is looking forward to the opportunity to work with the young people in our community to promote safety and good choices.  Over the next few Fridays, he will be visiting all of our Advisory groups to get to know all of our students on a more personal level.  If you see him when you are on campus, please say hello!

I am very excited about the success so far of the roll out of Rediker's Portals for our teachers and students.  A number of families have already signed into this free service and can now monitor their child's progress with a few clicks.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to sign up today!  This is another way for us to keep the lines of communication between home and school open and direct!  With over a month of school already in the books, it is an excellent time to check in on your son's or daughter's progress and to partner up with their teachers to address areas of concern.  Our students are most successful when we all stand together to hep them achieve success!

Week of September 21

This last week the class of 2018 worked with the folks from Adventure In Adventure Out on team building and breaking  down the barriers that often times prevent us from reaching our true potential.  It was also a time to reflect on just how many feelings and ideas we often share with those around us but keep inside.

It was a great way to spend a beautiful September day and I am already looking forward to bringing the program back next year to the high school.  The students truly enjoyed themselves and many reported to me that they got a lot out of the experience.  This amazing day was made possible by the generous contributions of the Monson Cultural Council and the PTSA.  I am extremely grateful for their support.  I have truly been humbled by the support the community has consistently shown our schools and students.  When the community is behind its schools the possibilities are limitless. Thanks again to everybody that made this wonderful event possible.

To learn more about Adventure In Adventure out you can visit the website.

Week of September 14th

It was an exciting and action packed week at the high school as a number of community events took place.

On Friday, we hosted the first of two annual blood drives in the gym.  Ms. Evans put together a great event that will had a number of staff and students stepping up for a great cause.  Thank you Ms. Evans!

A big thank you also goes out to Sara Szado and the Monson Athletic Boosters for putting on some great soccer games under the lights on Thursday and Friday night.  I am happy to report that both the boys and girls won and continue to be very competitive in their conferences.

On Saturday, the weather was gorgeous for the PTSA as they hosted the second annual Fall Fair.  It was  a great family event that drew a number of people in from the community.  I particularly enjoyed the band from my perch in the jail cell for the A-Team as we raised money for the PTSA.  My kids are already looking forward to next year and the bounce house!

Saturday night the Student Council hosted the Fall Black Light and Neon Dance.  The kids had a great time and I learned that Mrs. Webster has no rival on the dance floor!

Week of September 7th

The first five day week of the school year is behind us and things continue to go well at the high school.  I was happy to meet many families at our Open House last Thursday night as I believe strong partnerships between school and home drive student success.

Congratulations are in order for our first group of athletes of the week.  For the week of September 1st, it was Varsity Boys Golfer Colton North.  For the week of September 8th, the honor was shared by Girls Soccer Players Senior Mikaela Rouette and Freshman Shannon Jalbert.  Nice work guys!

Friday we had  some beautiful fall weather and Mr. Kozikowski's AP English classes went out in the courtyard to find some inspiration in nature.  Mrs. Maloney's SAP group also enjoyed some time outside soaking in the gorgeous weather and shooting hoops.  At the end of the day, Mr. Fletcher's Environmental Science class could be found behind the building searching for samples.  I have been reflecting a lot over the weekend about how fortunate we are as a community to have such a beautiful campus that blends perfectly with the natural environment around us.  I am excited for the foliage!

Speaking of enjoying the fall weather, I hope you all join us at the Fall Fair next Saturday afternoon at Quarry Hill.  I am hopeful that some of you will help bail me out of jail as the PTSA has informed me that the Principals from each of the buildings will be locked up for charity.  See you there!

Week of August 31st

Another fantastic week is in the books for the Mustangs.  Competitions began for the fall athletic season and our student athletes are off to a great start.  The Golf team won their home opener match against Saint Mary's Parish.  Girls Varsity Soccer played a terrific home opener in front of a great crowd at Rogers Field, besting Lennox 5-0.  Boys Varsity Soccer had an impressive 2-2 draw on the road against last year's State Champions, West Springfield.  Palmer Football also won their home opener 31-14.

Many of our students were also involved this weekend in the Monson Summer Theatre's production of the musical Footloose.  If you did not make it to one of this week's shows, you can still catch the performance next Friday or Saturday in the Granite Valley Auditorium.

The Student Council held their first meeting of the week this year and were happy to report that students are very pleased with the reopening of the School Store during lunches.  They also decided to move the Fall Welcome Back Dance to September 20th.

Please don't forget the High School Open House is this Thursday, September 11th at 6:00 pm; I look forward to seeing many of you there.  Please also remember that the Fall Fair is Saturday, September 20th from 2:00-6:00 pm, see you there!

Week of August 24th

The school year got off to a fantastic start on Wednesday with an all school assembly to ring in the new year.

Both the faculty and the students were excited and happy to hear about the return of several great programs for this year.  The smell of fresh cut wood permeates the hallways as the wood shop has come back to life under the guidance of our new Industrial Arts teacher Mr. Kielbasa.  Up on the first floor, Mrs. Berouard and her seniors are getting the cooking classroom back in order to begin working on culinary delights as Cooking and Nutrition return to the curriculum after a nearly three year absence.

During lunch, students are once again able to check out the school store for pride wear and classroom supplies.  The newly minted seniors of the class of 2015 enjoyed the beautiful weather while eating lunch out in the courtyard and the freshman class of 2018 have done a great job of learning the routines and the lay out of the high school.

Out on our athletic fields, running trails, and Quabog Country Club, our fall athletes continue to prepare for the competition as the fall sports season officially begins this week.  My family and I are especially looking forward to taking in the soccer games Friday afternoon!  Don't forget to follow me on twitter for live updates from the sidelines this Friday and all season long @mustangpride2. 

Week of August 17

I hope all of our students and faculty enjoyed one last weekend of a terrific summer.  Ironically, it will be as warm as it has been on weeks on our first day of school this Wednesday.  Last week was an exciting one at the High School as we welcomed all of our new incoming students with a cookout and ice cream last Wednesday night.  The students were paired up with their "big siblings" and went for a tour of the building while their parents and guardians stayed behind for an informative question and answer session with the Administration and Faculty.  Many great questions were asked and I believe we laid the foundation for excellent communication and true partnerships with the parents of our students.

Last week also saw the beginning of the fall athletic season with our students athletes returning to campus to begin tryouts and practices. The Republican ran a great story about our co-op arrangement with Palmer for football.  You can read about it here.

Now that our athletics are underway we eagerly await the official start of the year this week!  Don't forget to follow Monson High School's twitter for exciting updates about the first day and week of school.  See everyone Wednesday, I can't wait!

Week of August 10, 2014

It was another busy week at the high school as the 2014-2015 school year is just around the corner. The building is beginning to come back to life as many members of the faculty have begun to come in to make sure their classrooms and materials are in order for the first day of school.

On Wednesday night, the Monson School Committee recognized Senior Bailey Medeiros for her top fifteen finish at the Miss Teen USA pageant; congratulations Bailey!  Check out the full story here.

Also at the school committee meeting, the lead nurse for the Monson Public Schools, Ms. Karen Fedora, reviewed the new food policies for the schools. In that presentation, she informed the committee of the compromise we were able to reach at the high school with the input of the student council. Students may enter the building directly through the cafeteria if they want to finish their coffee or breakfast before the start of school. This is a great example of the importance of our staff and students working together to promote positive culture in our school! It is very important to me that our students know that their opinions are valued and voices are heard.

We have a very exciting week with the new student picnic on Wednesday, 6 pm and the beginning of fall sports practices and tryouts. I look forward to welcoming our new students as well as our returning student athletes. Remember to follow @mustangpride2 on Twitter for news and updates about all the great things happening at Monson High School!

Week of August 3rd

The first week of August was a busy one at the high school as we make final preparations for the start of the 2014-2015 school year.  On Monday I ran into the Girl's Cross Country Team before they were going for a walk of the trail for the new members of the team.  They were thrilled to have their picture taken so early in the morning!

I told them on Monday I was starting a Twitter account for the high school to promote all the amazing things our students and faculty are involved in on a daily basis.  You can follow it here.

On Wednesday I had the student council in to discuss their ideas about what we can all do as a community to make the upcoming school year great for everyone.  They had a number of positive ideas, including holding a welcome back dance on Saturday, September 13th.

Stay tuned to this blog for weekly updates from Monson High School!