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!