Welcome Back and Happy New Year!
THIS WEEK:
January 1 - NO SCHOOL
January 2 - Day 8 B-Flex-D-C-F
January 3 - Day 1 C-A-Flex-E-G
January 4 - Day 2 E-B-D-G-F
January 5 - Day 3 A-Flex-D-F-C
LOOKING AHEAD:
January 8 - Day 4 B-A-Flex-G-E
January 9 - Day 5 C-B-D-F-G
January 10 - Day 6 E-A-Flex-C-F
January 11 - Day 7 A-B-D-G-E
January 12 - Day 8 B-Flex-D-C-F
HELPFUL INFORMATION:
If you are having trouble accessing your ASPEN account - email aspenhelp@email.medfield.net for assistance.
Check out the Medfield High School FAQs Center for information regarding our HS Schedule, School Calendars, Bell Schedules, Technology, and more!
Here is the 23-24 HS Monthly Bell Schedule for your reference. Please check it regularly as information may change.
Class dues can be paid online via the MySchoolBucks portal.
HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT #17
No School/Delayed Opening Announcements
In case of inclement weather or any other serious reasons for cancellation or delayed opening of school, information will be announced through email from Medfield High School, as well as posted to various other school-sponsored social media accounts (Facebook, X/Twitter, etc.)
Check radio stations WBZ (1030), WHDH (850), WRKO (680), WKOX (1200), and WCLB (105.7), as well as television channels 4, 5, and 7.
If school is delayed one hour, bus routes will begin one hour later than the regularly scheduled time.
If school is delayed two hours, bus routes will begin two hours later than the regularly scheduled time.
For more information, please visit the MHS Student Handbook.
FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE
A representative from the United States Army will be visiting the Guidance Counseling Office on Wednesday, January 24th during Flex A and B (10:09-11:16). Students interested in hearing about the opportunities and benefits the Army has to offer are encouraged to attend. Students interested please sign up in MFL under 'College Visits'.
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Attention Grade 11 Students and Families:
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Attention Juniors and Seniors:
2024 Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
On Wednesday, February 7th, Medfield will be offering the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). Students should report to the counseling office at 7:45AM on test day. Students can register here:
The test, optional and open to all CURRENT JUNIORS & SENIORS, is approximately 3 hours in length. Students are reminded that they are responsible to approach teachers in order to make up all missing assignments. Students will check-in to the MHS Counseling Office the morning of the exam.
The ASVAB is an interest inventory that allows students to explore potential career options. The ASVAB is designed to help students learn more about themselves and the world of work, to identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations, and develop an effective strategy to realize potential career goals.
There is no fee to take the test. If you have any questions about registration please contact the counseling office.
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Class Of 2028/Current 8th Grade):
PRE-ACT TEST
Dear Sophomore Families and Students,
In February of 2024 Medfield High School will be offering the PRE-ACT for all sophomores. This OPTIONAL practice test for the ACT is normed for sophomores and is a great low-stakes introduction into the college admissions testing window.
The PRE-ACT will be held at MHS on Saturday, February 10th at 7:45AM. The test is approximately three hours long.
To register, families should follow this link and fill out all the information necessary. The fee for the test will be $35.00 with an option for a fee reduction. The registration window will be from Monday, December 4th through Friday, January 19th, 2024.
For more information about the PRE-ACT feel free to contact your guidance counselor, read this document, PRE ACT AT A GLANCE, or reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Alice Luczak
PSAT, SAT, and Pre-ACT Coordinator
Medfield High School
aluczak@email.medfield.net
MASSACHUSETTS STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
The Medfield Public Schools has proudly participated in the State Seal of Biliteracy program since 2019 and so far has awarded 136 state seals to our graduating seniors beginning with the class of 2020. The languages honored have included Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, French, Mandarin Chinese, Lithuanian, and Japanese. Students earn this honor upon their graduation from high school. They must demonstrate proficiency in English by attaining a score of 472 or higher on the ELA MCAS and a score of Intermediate High in each domain of the second language: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. The assessment in the second language must be approved by DESE. Full guidance can be found on the state seal website: https://www.doe.mass.edu/scholarships/biliteracy/
The Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy program was signed into law in 2017 for the following reasons:
- Encourage students to study and master languages;
- Certify attainment of biliteracy skills;
- Recognize the value of language diversity;
- Provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills;
- Provide universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for the attainment of high-level skills in languages;
- Prepare students with skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society;
- Strengthen intergroup communication and honor the multiple cultures and languages in a community
While the seal itself is a graduation award, it helps us to verify and honor the diversity of languages and cultures within our community. To develop high-level skills in any second language can require hundreds of hours of immersion/ exposure. Therefore, we want all families to be aware of our participation in this program.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ellen Toubman, department chair for World Languages and Cultures at 508-359-4367 ext 11015 or one of the school principals.
The class of 2023, State Seal of Biliteracy (at the time of graduation)
FROM MEDFIELD TV
2024 is right around the corner, and with that comes Senior Projects!
Medfield TV is a popular resource for Medfield High School seniors seeking mentors and equipment to create a digital media project. All interested seniors are invited to check out the work of previous seniors and fill out an application form on our website. https://www.medfield.tv/learn/seniorprojects/. Space is limited, so we encourage you to apply as soon as you are ready. Email info@medfield.tv or call 508-359-8888 if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you this spring!
FROM THE PTO
Please join us for the first PTO meeting of the calendar year. It’s during the day this month so hopefully you can make it. All three high school principals will be there if you have any questions, appreciations or concerns you’d like to highlight.
Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 8am in the MHS LMC
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The FUNTASTIC AND HIGH-FLYING Harlem Wizards are returning to Medfield High School on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 7pm!!
This event promises to be high energy, fun-filled, great for kids and adults and will guarantee to put a smile on all your faces! Extremely talented basketball players will play against your teachers from all Medfield District Schools. (We say ‘play', but we all know they’ll run circles around them in a very entertaining way!!)
The event is a fundraiser for the Medfield High School PTO, to help raise funds for scholarships, deserving awards, inspirational speakers, grant requests to enrich classroom experiences and so much more. Please help support us by purchasing tickets to this great show, bringing the whole community together. Thank you for your support.
FROM THE WRITING CENTER
It's been a busy term and a half in the Writing Center this year!
Since the first week of September, Writing Center Director Bonnie Wren-Burgess (WB) averaged 4 appointments per Flex period, primarily working with seniors on their college essays and supplements.
Due to the nature of college application deadlines, it can be difficult for anyone other than seniors to schedule Writing Center appointments During Term 1 and 2. Therefore, in order to assist other students, we developed a pilot program of permanent Writing Center Senior Tutors. Our inaugural group of Writing Center Senior Tutors are Oona Greeley, Trenton Louis, and Olivia Stanton. They all had WB as sophomores, worked incredibly hard and made such impressive progress. Then they took Honors Writing Seminar, where they continue to enhance and elevate their writing skills. This year Olivia, Oona, and Trenton will be found during most Flex periods in the Writing Center. They are popular with underclassmen, who often request them by name!
In addition, the Senior Tutors are often joined by Semester 1 Honors Writing Seminar students Sean Graham, Maeve Naughton, Daniel Terpinas, and Katie Wellenius, for whom editing and peer tutoring are part of the curriculum. Once trained, they also are scheduled to tutor students in the Writing Center or complete peer editing occasionally as homework for the class.
Students have certainly responded well to the peer tutors. For instance, between mid October and mid November between them they had over 60 appointments!
A reminder to all students and parents/guardians that it's easy to sign up for Flex periods in theWriting Center using the MyFlexLearning app. If it looks full, please don't hesitate to email WB (bwren-burgess@email.medfield.net) to be scheduled with one of the Senior Tutors or HWS peer tutors.
And remember: it never hurts and always helps to make a Writing Center appointment! |
FROM THE MCPE
We appreciate all of the amazing support from the Medfield community during 2023, helping fund so many important projects and capping off the year with $40,500 in grants awarded across all five schools in the November 2023 grant cycle. Thank you Medfield! This was the largest grant cycle in recent memory, and we are thrilled to say that all the money raised with your help during Fall Fest has already been reinvested in our schools. Check out some of the incredible things your generosity is bringing to our schools this academic year:
At Memorial School… New decodable texts to enrich the reading experience in school and at home plus new Phonetic Awareness tools for Kindergarten, intended to foster literacy development among our youngest readers.
At Wheelock School… New slant boards for student use to facilitate better handwriting and increased attention plus 3-D Doodle pens for the Wheelock MakerSpace that will provide students an avenue for creativity and allow students to make projects they can take with them.
At Dale Street School… New “Read, Ride and Rejuvenate” stationary bicycles in the library to give more students the ability to move during their day, helping with focus and emotional regulation plus additional flexible seating options for fourth grade that allow students to participate fully, collaborate, and engage in critical thinking.
At Blake Middle School… additional tools for the Blake MakerSpace like a large-scale printer and a button maker plus a new professional development opportunity at Blake and the High School focused on community empowerment through inclusion.
At Medfield High School… A new TV production/video studio that will be used by students to create content that can be shared within the school and the town at large via Medfield TV and the department’s YouTube channel.
Attending events like Fall Fest isn’t the only way you can support MCPE! Community donations throughout the year are also critical so that we can fund more projects in future grant cycles. As a designated non-profit organization, donations to MCPE are tax-deductible, and you can contribute either at our website medfieldcoalition.org or through Venmo: mcpe_medfield.
GELI 2024
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women will be hosting an event called GELI on April 20, 2024 at Simmons University. This event is a day of programming for young women that will prepare them to fight gender equity through civic engagement and leadership. Food and transportation will be provided. This program is open to girls ages 14-22. For more information please check out the GELI website https://masscsw.org/programs/girls-empowerment-leadership-initiative-geli/ or email MSCWGELI@mass.gov with questions. Additionally, you can email Mia Remington at mzremington2024@email.medfield.net.
CLUB NEWS
FROM SEPAC
This year, give yourself the gift of connection by joining one of the parent connection groups coordinated by Medfield SEPAC volunteers. A SEPAC parent volunteer will coordinate each, focusing on a different diagnosis. These informal groups will connect parents and caregivers of children of all ages with the specific diagnosis to share experiences and resources.
Our Parent Connection Group, focusing on Down Syndrome, will hold its meetings on the third Thursday of the month (1/18, 2/15, 3/21, 4/18, 5/16) from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Medfield Public Library. If you want to join this group, please get in touch with Michelle, this group's parent volunteer, at mebrien@gmail.com.
We are getting close to forming groups for the following diagnoses: ADHD, Dyslexia + Language-based Learning Disabilities, and Autism Spectrum. If you want to join one of these groups, please email sepac@email.medfield.net to connect with our parent volunteers for more information.
As requested, we are offering our Communications Workshop in January, where participants will learn to create a one-page snapshot of their child. This resource is helpful for teachers, coaches, babysitters, and anyone who interacts with your child. Our Co-President, Melissa Lowry, will lead this workshop and has offered to host it at a time convenient for the majority. So, if you are interested, please indicate which times work best for you in this doodle poll. https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/bovNZvBa Thank you!
Check out our website, Facebook, and Instagram social media pages. We share area events and more!
If you haven't taken a second yet to pre-order a yearbook copy now while supplies last, please do so ASAP. Luckily, the price has been frozen at $95 for the rest of this school year, which is a good deal since the final price has long been $100. Here is the ordering link. If you have any questions, please read through this FAQs doc for more information. Thanks!
FROM THE ALL NIGHT GRAD PARTY
To ALL SENIOR FAMILIES:
Happy New Year from the All Night Grad Party Committee Members!!
The time has started now where we’re in full force in creating the party of the year to celebrate the Class of 2024’s Graduation!! As you know, it literally takes a village and we need your help to make it an incredible experience for your Seniors.
If you are not familiar, it’s an 8 hour party on the day of Graduation (June 1st) full of incredible fun while being in a SAFE environment. The time flies as there is SO much for the Graduates to do throughout the night. They will be entertained, there will be games, there will be food and refreshments throughout the night and decorations that transform the school so it’s unrecognizable.
As you can imagine this takes much planning, expense and rolled up sleeves.
The average cost per student has been worked out to be $200 each. But to allow ALL students to attend, no matter their means, we rely totally on donations, there are no tickets. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to enable us to keep this successful Medfield tradition alive and as amazing as the kids have experienced in previous years.
To find out more about how you can help us please visit www.medfieldangp.com.
To make your donation please use the same website www.medfieldangp.com.
All Senior donations receive a CLASS OF 2024 CAR MAGNET as a thank you!!!
Please email if you have any questions: angpmedfield@gmail.com
Thank you!!!
Patty Borteck and Janie Boylan
ANGP Co-Chairs
CLICK HERE:
FOR OUR DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS!
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Please visit our district website for community notices and announcements.
https://www.medfield.net/o/medfield-public-schools/browse/103792
To submit items to the MHS WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE, please email Maura Fitzgerald at mfitzgerald@email.medfield.net by 8:00 AM on Monday mornings. If you would like to submit photos or flyers, please convert to .jpg files.
