June 2, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Welcome to the month of June, everybody. June, of course, spells graduation and then the finish to our school year. It also means great weather that will be alluring and distracting a little as we finish the important business of classes and exams. So, before we begin celebrating, let’s pay attention to the work this week and next that has such an important impact on grading and credit. Speaking of credit, congratulations to Tyler Davis for completing his Plato program. Nice job, Tyler, in finishing all the learning modules and adding another credit to your transcript. Certainly, seniors, you should be concentrating on preparing for finals that begin on Wednesday. These will be in your regular classes, so we need everyone’s cooperation this week to keep the hallways respectfully silent, making the exam environment the best.A big weekend in Track and Field at the Class Meet deserves acknowledgement and congratulations as many records were broken. The thunder and lightening that started the meet provided a dramatic setting as Wes Smith, Matt Glatz, Alex Aldrich, and Miles Auger broke the school record by 8 seconds in the 4 by 800. Don’t forget our Spring Sports Awards are tonight at 6:30. Have a great week, everyone.

May 27, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound! I like to start our final week of May for this school year with some thank yous and some acknowledgements. Rob Messier, Steph Wiencek. and Mr. Hamel, thank you for your organization, planning, and the many arrangements you made for our Spring Fling last Friday which was a great day of relaxing and fun. Thank you, students, for your cooperation, respect, and general great demeanors, and thank you for striving to see what we might improve. A great deal of appreciation is extended to our staff for all the participation, supervision, and interactions with kids on what was really a fine spring day. We look forward to continuing this tradition. Thank you and nice job to Kristi Kim , Shelly Philbrick and Ms. Jackson for planning and implementing a very successful career day morning last week. It was a great compliment to our school to have all the volunteer presenters and many of them complemented our students for their questions, behavior, and over-all civility and manners. Nice job, everybody! Congratulations and a big acknowledgement of achievement to Tracy Gerbert for being the latest in a long line of Plato graduates. Nice work completing your module, Tracey, and adding another credit to your transcript. Congratulation to Sheila Miller's Money and Baking students who took a national Financial Literacy Challenge and scored in the top 25th percentile out of more than 45,00 students. Seniors, this week will finish your lessons and exams begin next Monday. Please get all of your work in. See guidance if you need help. Good luck Thursday to out talented students participating in the first Student Directed Concert. We'll be putting SSR back to G block on Friday when we stole it to begin the day last week. Have a great week, everybody.

May 12, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound! I'd like to start the day and this week by acknowledging and congratulating students on various achievements. Last week on Thursday night we had an awesome Spring Concert. Our Jazz Band opened the evening in a little different format followed by our Select Choir and Chorus and the Concert Band ended the evening. Your hard work, preparation, and skill showed in this very public assessment and it was marvelous to see and hear. We have three more Plato graduates who have persevered and finished all their modules. Congratulations to Sean Keech, Brandon Reynolds, and Calvin LeClerc for your commitment, and nice job putting those credits officially on the record. Juniors! We will be taking the Science NECAP exam on Wednesday. It's official! Please come to a short am meeting tomorrow. Immediately as you arrive to school, go directly to the theatre and we'll have a short "A block" preparation for the state test on Wednesday. Thanksyou AP students for all your concentration on your AP tests last week and today. The long, long hours should pay off and I'm sure your determination will result in success. Everyone else, don't forget that progress reports come out on Thursday. Even though it's mid-May, we have five weeks of school before exams in the month of June, plenty of time to assess your achievement and end with the performance that is your very best. Have a great week, everyone.

May 5, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound!
I'd like to start this morning by acknowledging and thanking the advisors, chaperones, and all our students who attended the prom Saturday night. It was absolutely awesome and a very, very much fun night that everyone enjoyed responsibly. What a great venue, and the video screen and chocolate fountain were certainly highlights. Thanks again to the class officers; advisors Ms. DeVost, Ms. Hutchins, Mr. Harlow, and Mr. Shelton; and to all our chaperones and guests. Good luck this week to our AP studnets beginning tomorrow with Spanish. I'd like to acknowledge all the hard work and the challenge AP students have done and accepted; and I'm sure you'll do your best on the all-important AP test. Don't forget, everyone, our Spring Music Concert is this week. Band and chorus students have been getting prepared for this annual performance for weeks and deserve your support. It's fun and extremely well done so try and come and support them on Thursday. Correcting myself from last Monday, sorry if I scared you seniors by adding an extra day…my mistake. Please excuse me. Certainly everyone knows that graduation is on Saturday, June 14th. And on Friday the 9th of May mid-term grades close for NRHS. Be aware of where you stand with your academics and finish the month and year in a strong, up beat, and positive manner.

April 7, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound! We end the first week of April today and as we start into the second, it looks like the weather may be in our favor. We have this week and next before our Spring Break. Let's hope spring remembers to get here for our vacation. Remember Wednesday is our last In-Service day. SSR is B block this week. I would like to recognize, acknowledge, and congratulate Chris Levesque for being our latest Plato Learning Program graduate. Nice job, Chris! Have a great week, everybody.

March 31, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound! Last week I guessed that winter might be behind us as we started the spring athletic season, I was wrong. Yet another snow interruption on Friday brings us back from a long weekend and we've got to get back in gear with where we left off last Thursday. I'm sure your teachers will update your schedules. Please pay attention and make appropriate adjustments. Remember, Term III closed when we were not here on Friday. Report cards will be mailed home on Thursday of this week. Tomorrow we begin the month of April. As planned, the 9th and 10th grade will be post-tested with the Measures of Academic Progress test you did in October. The guidance department is coordinating this with study halls so stand by for further information. SSR is back to A block this week. We are doing better with the silent part of Silent Sustained Reading. We want the whole building including the adults joining the reading. Have a great week, everybody, as we cheer Red Sox Nation's opening day.

March 24, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound! Welcome to our final full week of school for the month of March, and, of course, to our last week of Term III. Quarter 3 ends on Friday and we'll have report cards next week. I expect you all were introduced to our Academic Expectation Rubrics last week. Hopefully getting teacher feedback and taking a good look at the quality of your performance can highlight a few things you might do better this week to finish the term strong. SSR is G block this week. I'm please with how quiet the building is while we all increase of our literacy each week. Have a good week, everyone.

March 17, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! This festive day often marks the unofficial start of spring. Let’s hope we officially start it with some warming weather in the next couple of weeks. We need to get rid of the snow for baseball and our other spring sports. It’s Red Sox opening day just about a week from now. Some of you might be surprised that Boston will begin its season in Japan. That’s right, in Asia. Back at home, NRHS has just past mid-term and I have a special word or two about assessment. Over the course of today and tomorrow your core classes (math, science, social studies, and English) will introduce to all students our school-wide rubric. Let me explain. The NRHS Mission Statement requires all students to master academic expectations. Acceptable levels of achievement (mastery) set the standard for both individual students and overall school performance. NRHS standards are high, requiring that every student meet acceptable levels of achievement when mastering academic expectations. A rubric is something that puts performance into categories or marks performance at a certain level. Rubrics will be used to determine the extent to which students have mastered academic expectations. There are five school-wide rubrics matched to out three academic expectations. School-wide rubrics will be used to clarify and communicate a judgment about levels of student and school performance. Today and tomorrow, please listen, ask useful questions, and try to understand that from this point forward we will use theses school-wide rubrics for learning, recording and reporting our school performance. Reminder that Wednesday is an In-service day and SSR is scheduled fort F block on Friday Have a great week!

March 10, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound. Welcome to our second school week in March and, if all goes well, our second straight five-day week. We haven’t had many of these through this snowy winter and we won’t next week, as Wednesday, March 19th is an in-service day for teachers. So, let’s make the most of Monday through Friday this week. And let’s use our mid-term progress reports from last week to concentrate on the subjects that need improvement. Remember math lab, the after school homework club, and of course, your teachers are all available for extra help if you need it. It’s your responsibility to demonstrate you can own increasing your own achievement, it’s your responsibility to enhance your school performance, and it’s ultimately your responsibility to secure your own success by taking initiative. Last Thursday was a great example of students and the school taking initiative to teach tolerance and to stand-up against bullying. Thank you students and staff who participated and contributed and special recognition to Kristi Kim and Shelly Philbrick from guidance for leading the charge. The negative outcomes of bullying behavior reach far into the school environment and reports of school tragedies involving violence often reveal that perpetrators felt victimized by bullying. On Thursday, NRHS will sponsor Rachel’s Challenge to show us all how responding to one another with kindness and consideration can be the best protection against harassing behaviors. Our school wide assembly will start at 9:00 am on the 13th. Congratulations to Tyler Durgin for being the first student this school year to complete his Plato learning program to get credit for English. Nice job! Good luck to all of you working hard in that computer module-credit recovery program, Don’t forget, everyone, that tonight is our Winter Sports Awards celebration. See you at 6:30. And March is Youth Art Month. We have several of our students’ artwork on display in both Concord and Laconia. Have a great week, everyone.

FEBRUARY 19, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning, Newfound. Welcome back from yet another three-day weekend (the snow gods are still angry with us apparently) and welcome everybody to our final week of February. Our winter break is close but considering the last couple of months it’s probably certain not to be a break from winter. We’ve reached the mid-winter, mid-term point in obvious fits and starts. It’s been tough on everybody being in and out of school and constantly having to play catch up, but as Bill Belichick might say, “It is what it is.” Thanks, everybody, for adjusting and making a habit of it, proving, I think, what adaptable creatures us ‘humans’ can be. Still, all the planning and re-planning takes patience. Students, please remember your teachers are in this with you, coping often with their own children’s closed schools. As a community we must step back, take a deep breath, and look at the landscape of the next four days. So, some follow-ups- - 1. Our Anti-bullying Day is being postponed until after vacation. Our carnival week doesn’t lend the atmosphere we want for this important message. We’ll start March with a message of tolerance. 2.. Our Carnival events are obviously being adjusted. Pajama and Professional Day themes blended into today for example. 3. Winter athletes, please work carefully with coaches and parents to coordinate February vacation week game times. Pay attention to re-scheduling as Mr. Cofran has worked carefully to for everyone. 4. Plymouth vocational students need to attend their classes all this week as a result of making up the missed school time. And so…most importantly, all your teachers will have important information today about how the week will go. Everybody, please buckle down for three days of instruction and assessment before we hit mid-term on Friday and start Winter Carnival in earnest! Have a great week, everybody!

FEBRUARY 11, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Welcome to the week of Valentine’s Day, a kind of left-handed holiday, and welcome to our week of standing up against bullying which will be highlights on Friday, February 15th with out pledge t-shirts and our anti-bullying day. Today is our Activity day. We will follow schedule B to allow short afternoon class meetings.

FEBRUARY 4, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning Newfound. Today is February 4th and we begin the process of scheduling for next year. This will include very important assemblies for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Everybody needs to pay attention to the great information teachers present so you can select the courses most important to you. Soon we'll create a schedule for the school and you must take the courses you and your parents signed up for. We'll end scheduling in March and won't be making changes. So, be careful and thoughtful with your choices and this process. W ednesday this week is our February Teacher-In-Service Day. Please plan accordingly. Please everybody remind your folks that Friday night is our deliberative session for the budget. 18-year-old voters, please attend and remind your parents. Have a great week, everybody.

JANUARY 28, 2008
From Morning Announcements:
Good morning Newfound. Welcome to the last week of January 2008, a month into the new year, now gone in the blink of an eye. This Friday, February 1st puts us just 3 weeks away from Term III mid-term reports. On the 22nd of February, of course, we begin out winter break, but have very important month of teaching and learning before we earn that vacation. Learning, as you know, is the reason we are all here. Along with our academic expectations, there are social and civil skills we expect to learn as part of our school mission. Please listen up. This is important. I have some information that’s both exciting and will literally present a challenge to our high school. This year we have put an emphasis on tolerance and how we treat one another. We absolutely have the goal to make Newfound harassment free. You can see the hallway posters reminding everyone harassment in any form is unacceptable and many classes have heard Ms. Kim and Ms. Philbrick teach acceptance as one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers. Next month. we will be amplifying and strengthening our anti-bullying initiatives. Newfound will be endorsing two programs to eliminate bullying in our school. Rachel’s Challenge is known throughout the country. It’s a challenge by Rachel, the first girl killed at the Columbine shooting, to spread kindness in hopes to start a chain reaction. The presentation this spring will include an assembly, film, and guest speaker. Before that, February 15th is International Stand Up to Bullying Day. Schools across the country will be wearing t-shirts to stand up against bullying. Students and staff are encouraged to take a pledge to support those who are victim to bullying. By taking the pledge, participants purchase a t-shirt for $5 and wear the shirt on February 15th. The shirt reads, “ Today I have an obligation. No longer will I be silent if you need help. Silence is participation. I refuse to participate in the problem. We’re all different but all deserve respect. If you need help, come to me, If I think you need help, I’m getting involved I got your back.” Students and staff will have the opportunity to sign up and pre-purchase t-shirts this week. NRHS has accepted the challenge to get as many participants as possible. All proceeds pay for the cost of the shirts and go to support international anti-bullying efforts. Congratulations and thank you to the cast, directors, producers, tech crew, parents, and all other supporters of our fabulous one-act plays on Saturday. They were awesome and as an audience we absolutely loved producing the sound effects Have a good week, everyone!