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| Photo by William Owen |
Under the leadership of our talented and dedicated theatre teacher, Melissa Charych, CC Theatre actors and techies have been working on our fall production of The Laramie Project, a documentary play that explores the murder of Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student who was beaten and killed in 1998 for being gay. As an educational institution that stands in solidarity against hate, our talented group of students, staff, and parent volunteers will pay hommage to Mathew and to all members of the LGBTQ community. The play is an ensemble piece requiring actors to portray multiple characters communicating a message of compassion and hope in the face of unspeakable hate.
Immediately following Matthew Shepard’s murder, members of the Tectonic Theater Project in New York City traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, to conduct interviews with members of the community and to the people closest to Mathew. Composed using first-hand accounts, The Laramie Project utilizes the words from those interviews to construct a masterful play, and I am excited to see our students perform with passion and sincerity. We are thrilled to have a member of the original Tectonic Theater Company come to CCHS to run a workshop with our cast and crew on Monday, October 21st.
Performances are November 21-24 at 7:30pm. Melissa, Ned Roos, Rebecca Robichaud, parent volunteers, and CCPOPS, welcome you to join us and witness this very important piece of theatre.
Athletic Update
By Aaron Joncas
Fall sports teams are enjoying success, competing hard, and representing our school with passion and pride. The cheerleading team will participate in competitions over the next few weeks, first in Natick, followed by another competition in Billerica. The team is led by new head coach, Lucy O'Connor.
The boys and girls cross country teams are vying for another DCL title; both teams stand at 4-0 and are looking like strong contenders in the EMass and state competitions.
Our girls volleyball team held its annual bake sale to raise money for Susan G. Komen before the matches vs. Acton-Boxborough. Last evening the varsity game followed an exciting JV team victory. The varsity won impressively, beating a formidable opponent in AB in four sets. Earlier this year, these two teams played a 5-set thriller. The team improved to 12-1.
Boys soccer is 7-1-3 and still in contention for another DCL title. Girls soccer is 9-3-2 and positioning itself for a tourney run. Despite battling injuries, they are playing hard and hoping to peak at the right time.
Field hockey is enjoying an excellent season standing at 9-3-1. Featuring a mixture of youth and experience, couch Jacqui Turner has the team firing on all cylinders.
The golf team wrapped up a solid season posting a record of 7-6. Gabrielle Shieh had another great season and will continue her strong play next year at Brown.
The football team plays Somerville at home today at noon. The team was featured on Channel 5 as part of their High-Five Series. You can watch the video by clicking this link. The Patriots of Concord-Carlisle fired a shot heard around the league, Mike Lynch reports.
Free SAT Crash Course
Students who attend this free workshop on Tuesday at 11:30 will learn essential strategies for every section of the SAT, complete challenging practice problems, and create a personalized review card to help them thrive on test day. The class begins at 11:30, and the location will be announced on Tuesday.
Senior Seminars
By Alison Nowicki
Beginning the week of September 23rd, counselors started a series of weekly seminars to discuss Post-Secondary Planning with seniors. These meetings provide an opportunity to give students information about the steps they need to take regarding the college application process, give them time to work on different pieces of the application, and give them time to check in with their counselor. Counselors offer individual meetings as needed. The seminars will run until the end of Quarter 1.
Climate Strike
Thousands of students, including hundreds of CC students, participated in the global youth strike. Several of our students are featured in photos available in the Boston Globe.
By Priscilla Guiney
In anticipation of the World Youth Climate Strike set for Friday, September 20th, CCHS students and staff worked together in a grassroots effort to help educate the school community about the impact of climate change and more sustainable lifestyle choices. The AP Environmental class and club members from the Environmental Club, Green Team, and the Activism Club helped coordinate a Climate Change information table in the Cafeteria during lunch blocks this week. Students learned how their lifestyle choices impact climate change on a daily basis.
The working compost bin with food being turned into soil especially generated a lot of student interest. Many students have expressed support for actively composting all food scraps generated by the school this year. Students and staff stopped by the table and made pledges on recycled post-its to incorporate a lifestyle change like walking or biking more, shopping at thrift stores, eating more plant-based foods, etc. The pledges filled up a huge, hand-painted mural featuring the Lorax saying “Unless I Care”… hung in the Cafeteria.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this timely and momentous occasion!
Athletic Program Letter to Student-Athletes
I include a letter written to our CC athletes for the athletic programs.
Dear Student-Athletes:
I am proud to say that some of my fondest memories in life are derived from my experiences in high school athletics. The memories born from these experiences, and the bonds formed during my high school athletic career, live on today. This fact serves as a testament to the profound impact sports can have on a young student-athlete.
Vince Lombardi, the late legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said: “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.”
I believe it to be true, that the qualities and virtues learned on the playing field are universal skills that will help you succeed in whatever endeavor you so choose. The life lessons I have learned through athletics are far too many to list, but chief among them are teamwork, a disciplined work ethic, and learning how to succeed in the face of what appears to be insurmountable odds.
As a society, we revere success but often fail to recognize the process. The hard work, sacrifice, commitment, and dedication necessary to succeed are things that only you and your teammates can truly comprehend. It is important to note, however, that the lessons learned in the face of defeat can exceed those learned in winning, as one of the secrets of life is to fall down eight times and to get up nine. It is easy to demonstrate sportsmanship when victorious, but the true judge of one’s character can best be determined when you are exposed to defeat.
Competition and learning how to compete are vital to your future success. Whether in a rink, a gym, a track, on a court, or a field, we look forward to watching our student-athletes compete. We know you will make us proud. See you at the game!
Sincerely,
Michael J. Mastrullo
Principal
