Challenge Success, Fun Fridays, No HW Weekend for Seniors, and MORE!

Challenge Success

On Friday and Saturday, October 13 and 14, 2023, the Administration, English teachers, and one of our Adjustment Counselors attended the Challenge Success conference.  It was a great conference with impactful sessions and we look forward to sharing the learning with the Leadership Team, and everyone in the coming days and weeks.  We attended sessions on belonging, engagement, homework, artificial intelligence, the science of wonder, integrating SEL, and more.

Fun Fridays!

Fun Fridays are back!  This was something we used to do pre-Covid and we are finally bringing them back. The CCHS Wellness Committee and CCHS Parent Association are teaming up to bring some fun activities to our students during their lunch block and to boost school spirit. Please reach out to the PA to find out how you can help or assist in future Fun Fridays if you are interested.

This Friday, during both lunches, students will have various fun activities in the cafeteria, outside of the Learning Commons, and outside of the dining commons, weather permitting. Students can come to grab some yummy cider, listen to music, and enjoy some of the fun activities during their lunch block. 

Promote School Spirit - All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear jerseys, any CC gear, or school colors (maroon and white). Let's see which class has the MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT!!

No Homework Weekend for Seniors

The Administration met with Student Senate leadership last week and they expressed the stress that many seniors are under with college applications and the upcoming November 1 deadline.

After thinking about possible solutions, we have decided to make next weekend a homework-free weekend for seniors.  As a result, no homework can be assigned on Thursday, 10/26 (there is no school on Friday, 10/27, because of parent-teacher conferences), and there should be no assignments due on Monday, 10/30. Please reach out to the Administration if you have any questions.  

Instrumental Music Concert, "Move!"

We hope you will join us for the CCHS Instrumental Music Concert, "Move!" on Thursday, 11/2, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium! Read on for some highlights of the exciting program we will be presenting that evening:

• The WORLD PREMIERE of Nubia Jaime-Donjuan's "Monarch Migration" for Symphony Orchestra, which we commissioned as a consortium member of the Mexican Repertoire Initiative
• Arturo Marquez's masterpiece "Danzon No. 2" transcribed for Concert Band
• Jennifer Jolley's challenging work "March!" - an examination of the Western march form as a wind band tradition and a tool of brutal regimes and authoritarian dictatorships around the globe and throughout history

You'll also hear works portraying dance, flight, and a stuck key on an organ. We can't wait to share all of our hard work with you at our Fall Concert!

I'm really proud of the hard work the students put into this program - the musicians in the bands and orchestras have prepared a concert consisting of works largely written by living composers. Most pieces they are performing are uncommonly difficult for a concert two months into the school year - several of these pieces are typically heard being performed by All-State or college ensembles. Not to mention a world premiere piece and a haunting finale! Don't miss this one!

- Chris Noce, Director of Bands & Orchestras

Department Spotlight: METCO

We are excited for the beginning of the new year! We are now a staff of four, Barb Burgos, Chris Skinner, Malinthi Fernando, and Deb Jemison. We are so excited for all the students returning to school! The Achievement Strategies classroom, 202, has been completely renovated and all of the students are enjoying the new space. We welcomed Chris Skinner, Academic Liaison.  Chris was previously at CMS as an Academic Liaison for METCO. Our students are working extremely hard in their academic endeavors which makes us extremely proud.  We are getting ready for our youth leadership conference at Emmanuel College on Oct 20th. We are also getting ready for our HBCUs Colleges and Universities event that will be conducted at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, on Oct 25-27. We will be taking students from Concord, Carlisle, and Boston to be a part of this event. With such a strong positive start to the new school year, we are excited to see where the rest of the school year will go! 

- Deb Jemison, METCO Director

7 selected METCO students attended the 27th Annual METCO Directors Association

High School Leadership Conference at Emmanuel College.

9th Academy Field Trips

Over several days in October, the 9th Academy will be taking students on an all-day walking tour of Concord. The goal is to use the walks to build community within the teams and increase awareness of our place within the larger community. The walks will start at the Buttrick House in Minuteman National Park, and integrate geological and historical lenses. Concord’s unique history from first inland settlement in 1635 through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and the contributions of the Transcendentalists, will also be incorporated into the walks. 

Twice Told Tales Field Trip: MFA Boston

On Friday, 10/20, The History & Literature: A Twice-Told Tale class visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous book of short stories, which inspires the title of the course, Twice-Told Tales endeavors to re-conceive, to reconsider, through history, psychology, and literature, the human condition. 

Upcoming Dates:

Friday	Oct 27	All Day	CCHS P-T Conferences
Friday	Nov 3	All Day	No Homework Night: End of Q1
Thursday	Nov 9	All Day	DEIB Assembly
Friday	Nov 10	All Day	No School: Veteran’s Day
Monday	Nov 13	All Day	Q1 Grades Due
Wednesday	Nov 22	All Day	Half Day/Spirit Assembly
Wednesday	Nov 22	All Day	No Homework Night: Thanksgiving
Mon-Tues	Nov 27/28	All Day	No Assessment Days: Post-Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday	Nov 29	1:15 PM	Early Release (schedule is the second tab in Bell Schedule Document)

Kicks for Cancer, National Merit Scholars, Mental Health Forum

Last week was one of our favorite weeks of the year!  The excitement of the Kicks for Cancer events was palpable all week long. The building was vibrating with great energy throughout.  The event has grown to become one of the largest community events of the year.  This event created such a sense of community, and it was amazing to feel the entire school and our students and families from Concord, Carlisle, and Boston to be pulling in the same direction. We are beyond grateful to everyone involved with this amazing event. Please read below to learn more about the annual event if you are new to our community!

In addition to Kicks for Cancer, we had our first early release day this past Wednesday.  As we walked around the school that afternoon, it was wonderful to see the collaboration happening among teachers and/or departments.  While we are still early in the year with the new schedule, we are excited by the possibilities it has afforded.

17th Annual Kicks for Cancer

The 17th annual Lois Wells Memorial Kicks for Cancer event returned to the fields at Concord-Carlisle High School this past Saturday, September 23rd.  The crowds and community spirit were record-breaking!  More than 20 towns faced off in matches throughout the day, and the CCHS teams matched up against Lincoln-Sudbury High School. The extensive fan base and community support were palpable!

Kicks is proud of its roots - this long-standing community event has grown from one benefit game between CCHS and Boston Latin High School in October 2007 to honor the life and spirit of Lois Wells, the beloved mother of CCHS assistant soccer coach Steve Wells and his brother Dan, both CCHS alum.  Lois lost her battle with stage IV ovarian cancer less than a year after being diagnosed.  17 years later, Kicks for Cancer has grown into the cornerstone of an incredible community-building weekend held every September at CCHS.  This year was unparalleled with the outpouring of community spirit and support! 

Kicks for Cancer also partners with The Mighty Moose 5K, which originated in 2018 in honor of Concord resident and mother Jenna Swaim, whose dream was to add a 5K Fun Run as part of Kicks for Cancer Weekend.  Many students and community members also came out early this past Sunday to run, walk, and volunteer at the Mighty Moose - it was another joyful, celebratory day!

In addition, other CCHS athletic teams also played their part during Kicks Weekend:  CCHS Football's Tackles for Cancer, CCHS Field Hockey’s Sticks for Cancer, CCHS Ultimate Flicks for Cancer, CCHS Women's Volleyball Digs for Cancer, Links for Cancer, Picks for Cancer Music program and the CCHS Cross Country teams’ K(ilometer)s for Cancer.

Coming into this year, Kicks and the Mighty Moose had already contributed more than $1 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to advance women’s cancer research over the years.  Today, the events celebrate “One Community, One Goal”—both in creating a powerful sense of community and awareness and by raising funds to advance ovarian cancer prevention. 

This year’s fundraising numbers are not yet available, but organizers are optimistic as attendance and enthusiasm at the event suggest a tremendous success.

Thank you, CCHS!  Kicks for Cancer can't wait to see you again next year!

National Merit Scholars

Eight students from CCHS were named among approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide in the 2024 annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These students will compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships next spring worth more than $31 million.  

More than 1.6 million juniors from 22,000 high schools competed in the National Merit Scholarship Program, the eight semi-finalists listed below scored in the top 1%. Impressive! Congratulations to our semi-finalists!

Sarah Annunziata
Kenneth Cobbs
Carson Enes
Benjamin Lyczkowski
Joshua Ma
Wilbur Moffitt
Alessandra Nugent
Brian Tilford

In addition, 27 students were named Commended Students in the 2024 NMSP. These students will receive a Letter of Commendation. About 34,000 students across the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2024 competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT test in 2022. Congratulations to our Commended Students!

William Anstey
Colin Balfour
Sadie Butler
Rebecca Finizio
John Gilmore
Grace Grogins
Michelle Gu
Edward Hammond
Cecilia Hetling
Rotem Kronrod
Brandon Li
Joshua Lima
Wesley McIlwain
Reed Moffitt
Beatrice Neilson
Claire Owen
Samuel Richman
Samantha Saak
Nahia Saenz de Viguera Washa
Uma Samnotra
Azlan Shahzad
Caroline Shirley
Alexandra Sproule
Sanjeev Sridhar
Cara Ubaldino
Jason Wang
William Wood

Mental Health and Wellness Forum

Please join us for a presentation and forum from CPS and CCHS Counselors and Clinicians on K-12 mental health in the Learning Commons on Tuesday, October 3rd, from 6:00-7:30 pm.

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday	Oct 4	1:15 PM	Early Release (schedule is the second tab in the Bell Schedule Document)
Monday	Oct 9	All Day	No School:  Columbus and Indigenous Peoples Day
Friday	Oct 13	All Day	PSAT School Day
Wednesday	Oct 18	11:15 AM	Half Day (schedule is the second tab in the Bell Schedule Document)
Friday	Oct 27	All Day	CCHS Conferences - No school for students

PSAT Deadline, Kicks for Cancer, Exceptional Students, and more!

We hope this blog post finds you staying safe and dry! We have had some crazy weather the last few days, to say the least. Our first full week of school for the 2023-2024 school year is underway. It’s hard to believe our students returned to campus only two weeks ago today. It has been great to be back.  We have loved getting into classrooms to see the teaching and learning that is happening.  In addition to the learning in the classroom, athletics are in full swing, and the theater department has started its auditions for the fall play. 

Flex block has been going well so far, and we have really enjoyed seeing some of the fun and creative offerings by teachers for students. We are off to a good start with it! So far, the informal feedback from students and faculty has been positive. Today, we hosted a talk by Dr. Elias, the lead researcher from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to whom all the proceeds for Kicks for Cancer go. Since Kicks for Cancer and all of the supporting events are part of the fabric of our school, we really wanted all students to both see and hear how far-reaching their efforts are and the amazing impact of it all. We are so grateful he was willing to visit our school today and speak to our entire student body. Kicks for Cancer is a little over a week away. There are so many amazing games and activities planned starting next week. Please check out the schedule below.

Lastly, it was so wonderful to see so many parents at Back to School night last week. That is one of our favorite evenings of the year, as we love welcoming new families and visiting with our returning ones. We hope you enjoyed meeting your student’s new teachers and hearing about all of the wonderful things they will learn about this year. Thank you, too, to parents who checked out the Hidden in Plain Sight display. They were thrilled with the number of parents and guardians who stopped by and were appreciative of the feedback they received. Please keep reading to learn about some upcoming workshops and events and to learn more about some of our exceptional students. We hope you have a great rest of your week!

PSAT - Friday, Oct 13 (registration due Thurs, September 14)

Registration for the Friday, October 13th administration of the PSATs at Concord Carlisle High School is now available through the MySchoolBucks Store.  This year, the PSAT will be offered during the school day on the morning of Friday, October 13.

The cost is $28.00, and payment must be received by Thursday, September 14 at 3:00 p.m. to ensure all students who want to participate have the necessary materials. If you need financial assistance, please contact your student's guidance counselor. This will be the only PSAT administration of the year at CCHS.

If you have specific questions about the PSAT test, visit the College Board website or connect with your student's guidance counselor.

If you have any payment or registration questions, please visit www.myschoolbucks.com and click Help, email parentsupport@myschoolbucks.com, or call MySchoolBucks Customer Support at 1-855-832-5226.

Early Release and Half Days at CCHS

To help minimize any confusion surrounding early release and half days at CCHS, please refer to the following dates and dismissal times below:

Half Day - 11:15 AM Dismissal

October 18, 2023

November 22, 2023

December 13, 2023

December 22, 2023

March 13, 2024

Early Release - 1:15 PM Dismissal

September 20, 2023

October 4, 2023

November 29, 2023

January 3, 2024

January 31, 2024

February 14, 2024

March 20, 2024

April 3, 2024

May 8, 2024

May 22, 2024

School Picture Day - Friday, September 15, 2023

Mark Lawrence Photographers will be at CCHS on Friday, September 15, for school picture day. All students, including seniors, must get their picture taken. This is to ensure that every student receives a CCHS student ID. To order prints, please click HERE.

For customer service, please contact Mark Lawrence Photographers at www.marklawrencephotographers.com, call (603) 882-0116, or email the studio at nas@marklawrencephotographers.com.

Workshop: A Healthier Approach to College Admissions

The college admissions process can be a source of stress and anxiety for students and parents alike. This research-based workshop addresses many of the important questions we hear from families. Participants will learn practical strategies to help reduce unnecessary pressure around the college admissions process and ways to support their student’s overall well-being and readiness for life in college and beyond.

Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm

Click HERE to register for this informative workshop.

Data Activism at MIT

Thanks to the Calculus Project, Laiya Pavlov, Zora Webb, and Emmi Taylor, all rising sophomores at CCHS, completed the Data Activism program at MIT. Through this program, they learned how to use data science to mitigate systemic oppression.

They partnered with local community organizations and engaged in critical Participatory Action Research. They recently presented their research at the First Data Activism Research Symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) Showcase at Harvard University.

Wilbur Moffitt

Congratulations to Debate Co-Captain Wilbur Moffitt, who was just recognized as CCHS' first ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN in the National Speech and Debate Association. The Academic All American award recognizes high school students who have earned the degree of Superior Distinction (750 points); completed at least five semesters of high school; demonstrated outstanding character and leadership, and earned a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent). 

 

Pictured with Wilbur in the photo are Co-Captain Felicity Zhang and debate coach Tim Averill. CCHS debate has begun to meet on Monday afternoons right after school and Wednesdays from 3:30-6:00 PM. New debaters are encouraged to come to debate and give it a try. 

 

    - Tim Averill, Debate Coach

Senior PJ Balazy and Lizzie Hedeman (CCHS Alum)

CCHS Senior PJ Balazy and her rowing partner, Avery Packard (Duke University), won their event (Women's 2x) at the US national trials in June and earned their spots on the national team.  They competed in Paris at the Stade Nautique in August against the best rowers in the world from 53 nations.  This venue is the site for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic rowing competitions.  

What made this amazing (for CCHS) is that recent alum Lizzie Hedeman '23 also made the team.  She earned her spot in the 8+ by attending a selection camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center this summer.  Of the 23 women on the team, only three hailed from Massachusetts.  Incredibly, 2 of those are from CCHS! Congratulations, PJ and Lizzie!