Chris Ruediger, XCountry, Student Newspaper, Hugh Easton, Corey Ames & More

Last week brought a well-timed four-day weekend on the heels of a highly charged election.  The four days following the election served as a welcome reminder that there is much to rally around and celebrate at CCHS.

Thursday brought parent/teacher conferences further cementing the partnership between school and community.  Thursday evening we witnessed a thrilling 49-48 victory for our football team.  A team led by a great coach who instills unity and teamwork.  

Friday we paused to salute the brave men and women of our nation's armed forces.  Saturday our girls cross country team finished third catapulting them to the All-State Championship.  Eline Laurent finished third while Margot Ehrenthal finished first.  The boys cross country team is the D3 division champions. Both teams displaying sportsmanship, effort, commitment, leadership, unity, and team.  

Below you will find examples of the vast work of our CCHS students.  Their interests and abilities are varied and impressive.  With a short week on the horizon, there will not be a blog next week.  On behalf of CCHS, I want to wish all families a safe and happy break filled with laughs, smiles, friends, and families.   I will leave you with a snippet from a recent email I received from a parent.  I cannot say it any better.  

"A positive takeaway from this election season is a heightened awareness and energy in our motivated and well-educated youth with a vigor to be active in politics.  Perhaps they will be writing our nation's policies one day based upon the convictions of today. "

Potential Bell Schedule Change Meetings

Combined High School/Parents Association/Principal's Coffee Meeting

& Parent Evening Presentation.

We will be meeting to discuss a potential bell schedule change for the 2017-2018 school year.

December 5th

Where:       CCHS

Time:           9:30am

Location:   High School Library

December 7th

Where:          CCHS

Time:             7:00pm

Location:     High School Library

Christopher Ruediger
Christopher Ruediger is a singer/songwriter and a senior at CCHS. He plays the guitar, piano, drums, and sings. Chris recorded songs for his youtube channel at CCHS Colonial Sound.  He is very talented.  Follow the link to hear his cover of Valerie by Amy Winehouse: https://youtu.be/G30xA5A3f7Y

From left to right: Natalie Hoover, Chao Cheng, Kenny Liu, and Charles Wang. 

WGBH Quiz Bowl

CCHS English teacher and Academic Bowl Team leader Todd Sawyer led a group of students last weekend to compete in the WGBH Quiz Bowl.  More than 160 schools were competing for the 16 spots available to be part of the televised show. While we haven't found out if we have qualified for one of the spots yet, Todd reports that the student had a great time competing worked hard in preparation for the event. 

Athletic Update

Congratulations to Senior Emma Cupp for being selected to the DCL All-Star Cheerleading Team and golfer Gabby Shieh, for qualifying to compete in the National Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, to be held at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament.

Last Saturday our girls cross country team finished third catapulting them to the All-State Championship.  Eline Laurent finished third while Margot Ehrenthal finished first.  The boys cross country team is the D3 division champions. Both teams displaying sportsmanship, effort, commitment, leadership, unity, and team.  They will compete this Saturday for the state championship.  

New haircuts for All-State XC

Zander Kessler

https://twitter.com/CCXCTF/status/797964658665615361

Digital Photography

Photographs by Ruki Hoyt-Rouse from her blog: https://shotsbyrukie.wordpress.com/blog/

Students in Mr. Gooder's Digital Photography class have created a show of images from our day-long field trip to Cambridge last month. We have attempted to create a portrait of the city: people and culture that inhabit it, and what signs, graffiti, materials and architecture tell us about city life. Students responded in the moment to what they experienced and the people they met with their cameras.

Please stop by to see this excellent student photography! On display through Winter Break. 

Student Newspaper

Read the Voice! Superintendent Search, Election Protests, US Senate Results, New Advice Column, Movie Reviews, Much Ado Preview, and More!

Read The Voice!

Hugh Easton

Students in Greg Coan's 3D Graphics class develop and create content that is both creative and innovative. I am sharing Hugh Easton's idea of the future of CCHS ceramics class.  

Birth By Corey Ames

Senior Corey Ames wrote this beautiful poem as part of a Rivers & Revolutions project. Equally impressive was the depth of meaning he shared with me when describing the meaning and inspiration behind the poem.

Born grasping and breathing

Lifes meaning just eating and sleeping

Fill the blanks in between with products and dreams

Crawl,

Walk,

Sprint under light beams

Every person a flame that warms and burns

We create to forget and destroy to learn

Capable of anything yet preoccupied with nothing

And still we burn on in search of something

Spirit Assembly Schedule

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Veterans Day, Bell Schedule Meeting, Senior Internship, & More

Veterans Day 
Happy Veterans to all past and present members of the armed forces.  Thank you for your service.  

Veterans Day announcement from CCHS

The Crucible: No Parris Island recruit can become a Marine without surviving this test

O'Niell Pursuing Dream After Life-Altering Surgery
Air Force pararescueman and Wounded Warrior athlete August O'Niell, who was badly injured in Afghanistan, underwent a life-altering surgery.

Potential Bell Schedule Change Meeting

Combined High School/Parents Association/Principal's Coffee Meeting

We will be meeting to discuss a potential bell schedule change for the 2017-2018 school year.

Where:       CCHS

When:         Monday, December 5th

Time:           9:30

Location:   High School Library

Environmental Field Studies Group

By Gabrielle Wilson '17

"Make your Mark" and terracycle used markers, pens (no wooden pencils) by Nov.15th (drop-off box in Main Lobby) and provide clean drinking water to those in need!  We donate all program proceeds to Charity:Water.  Learn more about their global impact: http://www.charitywater.org/about/

Environmental Field Studies Group, EFSG, combined the talents of its members to write a script for and perform a video called "Bring on the Green" about how simple donations can provide people around the world with fresh drinking water.  We collect plastic cereal bag liners, granola bar wrappers that are shiny and silver on the inside, used pens, mechanical pencils, and markers.  For each item we collect and send to Terracycle, a 2 cent donation is made to the non-profit Charity: Water to provide people with fresh drinking water.  Last year, CCHS provided 19 people with an entire year of drinking water! 

Terracycle bins are set up around the school, where you can drop off these items (in front of the library, by the sustainability wall of the main hallway, in break-out space by the Rivers & Revolutions classroom, and in front of room 436).  There are also plastic containers on most 3rd and 4th-floor classrooms, for pencils and pens.  Please do not put food items themselves, liquids, or bottles, into these bins.  With your help, we can make a huge impact!  

The Bring on the Green video was directed by Issac Carlson and edited by Kathryn Schubert (both CCHS 2016). EFSG is advised by CCHS teachers Priscilla Guiney, Nora Murphy, and Peter Nichol.  Big thanks to CCTV for providing their studio and expertise. Without the help of Kester Krueger this film could not have been completed. 

Make Your Mark

https://youtu.be/xUjpr7jeAlY

Senior Internship

By Alison Nowicki

This spring, some seniors will be participating in an internship program coordinated by Babson College, which runs from the end of April until the end of May.  More specific information about the program can be found here.  If you are interested in hosting an intern, please fill out this form.  Please note, students will not be placed in his/her parent's company.  

If you have questions or need additional information about hosting an intern, please contact Peter Bagley at peter@peterbagley.com

Senior Internship Program Information

Strategies for Reducing Academic Stress & Creating Successful Students

Executive Function Workshop (Free) - Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 7:00-8:30 pm, CCHS Learning Commons.

Learn strategies to help your child better manage his/her nightly homework, including planning, organizational, and time management strategies. Please join Dan Levine and Melissa Wilson of Engaging Minds for a free workshop designed specifically for parents of students in grades 5-12, though open to any parent whose student can benefit. For planning purposes, an RSVP is appreciated but not required: Strategies for Reducing Academic Stress. Please join SEPAC for refreshments between 6:30-7pm. If you have any questions, please contact concordsepac@gmail.com.

Concord Electric Bus

https://drive.google.com/a/concordps.org/file/d/0Bze0vFyx7dVhTElxNTUtcVBpOUk/view?usp=sharing

What's On The Wall

CCHS Colonial Sound Wall

Veterans Day

https://youtu.be/Fjd0zuONZBo

Syrian Refugee Fund Raiser

https://youtu.be/UjYgzO76PVI

Make Your Mark

https://youtu.be/xUjpr7jeAlY

11-9-2016 Announcement: Post Election & Veterans Day

11-9-2016

It is fitting just days after our election of the President of the Unites States, that we pause and recognize the brave men and women of the armed forces.  November 11th is Veterans Day.  It is more than a day off.  It is more than a long weekend. It is a day we honor all of those individuals who have answered the call to duty.  

Regardless of what side of the aisle you align yourself with politically, regardless of your position on a given conflict or war, irrespective of your position on a president's foreign policy, it is important, in my opinion, that we as a country support the men and women of the armed forces.  

One of the hallmarks of this great country is that every four years we hold an election for the President of this country.  Power is not seized by revolution, or by a military coup, but rather a democratic process that allows all citizens of voting age in this country to exercise their right to vote.   Minus the rhetoric, every four years we have a peaceful transfer of power.  We all have a voice, but we can’t control who wins the election; we can control how we respond to the outcome.  If you are happy with the result, express that happiness with humbleness.  If you are saddened by the outcome, express that sadness in a positive way.  We all need to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

In the midst of our presidential election, we stand ready to honor our nation’s veterans this Friday.  From the brave souls who fought in the Civil War, to the brave men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and all those in between; it is important we recognize all of them on November 11th.   Some countries have mandatory military service; the United States has all volunteer force, and that can never be taken for granted.

In this country, we can trace the beginning of our democracy to the very founding of our nation. It began with a call to arms, where citizens from all across this country, from towns like Carlisle, and Concord, and cities like Boston ushered aside their peaceful life to fight for the cause of freedom and democracy.  As the adage goes,  "freedom is not free."  It comes at a cost, and sometimes it is paid with the ultimate sacrifice.  Veterans Day means different things to different people.  Those who have served in the military, have family and friends currently serving, or those who have lost a loved one in the military, will have a very different perspective on the importance of Veterans Day.

I am proud to say that my grandfather, uncle, and father all served in the military.  My grandfather parachuted into France the night before the D-Day invasion.  Sometimes I try to put myself in his shoes and try to imagine what was going through his mind, after jumping from the plane while floating to the ground.  He was armed with little more than an educated guess where the enemy was.  He was wounded in the war but survived.  My uncle was shot in the jungles of Vietnam. He was wounded but survived.   I wonder if I would have the courage to do as they did.

It is not just about the men and women in uniform, however. It is also about the sacrifice of military families along with the millions of veterans who live humbly among us.  You pass them at the mall.  You pass them at the grocery store.   They are living in your town, and you pass future veterans here in our own halls.

While it is true that the popular vote in this country was split nearly 50/50, we must begin the healing process of a divided nation.  It is imperative that we express compassion, tolerance, and hope.  Let us stand together.  Let us serve as a model for others.  I invite you to wake up every day with the intention of contributing to the well-being of others.  

Sincerely,

Michael J. Mastrullo

Principal

CCHS

Reminder: Freshmen Only Student Survey

Attention Freshmen Parents: Freshmen Only Student Survey

We will be administering a survey to all freshmen to measure their engagement and connectedness to their school, teachers, and peers.  Please see October 24th Principal's Blog for additional information.  

The importance of successful school transitions cannot be overstated. Whether transitioning from elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, or from high school to post-graduate opportunities, it is imperative that we educate and engage students in the process.  We aim to make these potentially anxiety-producing, pivotal moments in their lives seamless.  We are committed to making all students feel safe, welcome, and connected at CCHS.  

This is the impetus behind taking part in the anonymous survey conducted by a graduate student at a local university.  Please review the letter from graduate student Robert Serino, which provides detailed information about the survey including instructions on how to opt-out.  To be clear, no class time will be sacrificed as the survey will be conducted during advisory.  Lastly, if you wish to preview the survey, please follow the link provided.  Survey Link

Dear Freshman Parent/ Guardian:

Hello, my name is Robert Serino and I am just sending a reminder e-mail that in a few days I will be administering a brief survey to freshmen to measure their engagement and connectedness to their school, teachers, and peers. The completion of the survey by freshman students will help me with my dissertation project on school connectedness during the first year of high school. In the survey, I am hoping to gather information that will help schools across Massachusetts better ease the sometimes difficult transition to high school for all freshman students. More specifically, the data will be used and shared to help high school principals improve advisory programs to ensure that they are successful initiatives for supporting transitioning freshman students.

The survey will take place in English classes or during school advisory periods. The same survey will be given in the spring in order to see how freshman students’ opinions and thoughts have changed over the course of the year. The survey can be completed on a student’s cell phone, but paper copies and/or laptops will also be available for any student who does not have a phone or does not wish to use their phone to complete the survey. The survey will be anonymous, completely voluntary, and will take only 10 to 15 minutes to complete. All students that participate in the survey will be entered into a lottery to win a $25 gift certificate to Chipotle. Students who do not participate in the survey will still be allowed to use their phone during survey administration and will still be entered into the lottery for the gift card.

If you prefer that your son/daughter NOT participate in the survey, please email Robert_Serino@student.uml.edu, (researcher) or Jill_Lohmeier@uml.edu (dissertation advisor) by Tuesday, November 8th.  The decision to not participate in the survey will not affect any student’s grades. For more information, you may also call (978)-887-2323 ext. 1222.

The study is being conducted for partial fulfillment of a doctoral degree under the direction of Professor Jill Lohmeier (PhD). In addition, the study has received approval from the UMass Lowell Institutional Review Board (IRB), which reviews and approves research studies involving human subject participants.

Sincerely,

Robert Serino

Graduate Student

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Rowdies, Kicks-for-Cancer Fundraising Total, Student Newspaper & More

Kicks-For-Cancer

We are incredibly excited to announce that we exceeded our ambitious 2016

Kicks-for -Cancer fundraising target of $50,000. Thanks to the incredible community support, the total amount raised, which we will donate to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is $58,485!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to the generosity of time and spirit of so many the event was a remarkable success. While we don't know what next year will bring, we hope you'll be there again to raise funds for a cause so close to home.

Rowdies

"Lets get a little bit Rowdy. R-O-W-D-Y", a chant fans and parents will be hearing at sports games more often this school year thanks to CCHS's first school spirit team, the Rowdies. 

The team was introduced this week to students via email and Facebook, and sign-ups will close on Wednesday, November 9th. A forerunner for the new team, senior Grace Challenger, believes Rowdies have the potential to start a lasting tradition- one that boosts student morale and bonds classmates. 

Students in the team engage in anything from designing t-shirts, hosting events, going to games, and making videos to energize fellow students. Time will tell whether the team has the impact it intends, but with its already growing popularity and support, it seems the Rowdies were just what students were looking for. 

Delegation from Japan
The delegation from our Japanese sister school in Nanae completed their week-long visit on Wednesday 11/2. Japanese students took part in classes, played dodge ball with their CC counterparts and practiced with the concert band, visited the North Bridge and Walden Pond, and, of course, showed us all how to dance like squids at our annual sister-city potluck.  

Thanks so much to all the host families, and everyone else who helped make the visit a success!  A special thank you to David  Nurenberg.  David's hard work and effort made this endeavor a raving success.  We are grateful!

Learning Commons Blog

News from the Learning Commons.

Student Newspaper

Band and Orchestra Concert, Student and Teacher Halloween Costumes, Halloween Movie Reviews and Recommendations, Canvassing in New Hampshire, and More.  

Read the Voice!

CCHS Graduates In The News

NPR's From the Top, hosted by Chris O'Riley recognizes talented musicians from around the country and is the most popular weekly one-hour classical music program on public radio, heard by nearly half a million listeners on more than 200 stations nationwide. 

Recent CCHS alum, Helen Wargelin (French Horn) was recently featured! Helen is currently on scholarship at Northwestern University, studying French Horn performance.

Here is the link:

http://www.fromthetop.org/musician/helen-wargelin/

Weather on the Wall

Stay tuned for CCHS Weather Updates.  Here is a preview. 

Superintendent Search

Parents are encouraged to participate in the public process regarding the search for the Superintendent of Schools by attending upcoming public forums scheduled for:

November 14th 7:00-8:30pm in the Concord-Carlisle High School Auditorium

November 15th 10:00-11:30am in Ripley Building Conference Room 4 

For more information on the search process and the forums go to www.concordps.org.

Farm-Based Education

By Court Booth

CCHS hosts an interesting event this weekend, Nov. 5-6, the Farm-Based Education Network’s National Gathering. Upwards of 300 non-traditional educators from around the country who use their farms to inspire field-based inquiry and learning, will be on our campus Saturday and Sunday. Over 50 workshops are offered to participants.

The program is available via the event homepage: 

http://www.farmbasededucation.org/program-1

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