Emily Pritchard Named Special Education Department Chair

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Emily Pritchard has been named the new chairperson for the special education department.  Ms. Pritchard has been a special education teacher here at the high school for the past six years.  She has been an outstanding member of our staff and we are excited that she has agreed to take on this new role in the department.  Among her many achievements, Ms. Pritchard was a member of the team that developed our inclusion program for students with learning disabilities.  She also helped to create our ‘Reading Workshop’ course which teaches reading skills to students with language based learning disabilities.  Working with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Emily has helped to establish ‘Dialogue Groups’ for students that allow them a space to discuss issues concerning social justice and diversity.  Ms. Pritchard was also awarded the Harvard Club's Award for Teaching Excellence. We are lucky to have Emily’s leadership working for our students in this new capacity!

Grade 9 Explore Presentation

Last night, October 20, 2011, Jane Rathbun and I presented to Grade 9 parents the Explore test results. Ms. Rathbun focused on how to read the test scoring sheets, and I delivered some information on how our Freshmen students compare to students across the nation. For the parents who could not make the meeting, the score sheets will be handed out to Grade 9 students in the near future and they should be bringing them home and sharing them with you. I will be posting the powerpoint presentations shortly to the blog.

Adams Scholarship Announcement

South Hadley High School was informed today by the Department of Education that 45 of our students qualified for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship.

The Adams scholarship rewards high academic achievement on MCAS tests, and provides families of college-bound students with financial assistance. The scholarship covers tuition to state community colleges and universities, with amounts ranging from $740.00 to $1,745.00.

Students will be notified next week with official letters from the Department.

Congratulations To Our New National Honor Society Members

South Hadley High School inducted 35 new students in the South Hadley Chapter of the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society seeks young people dedicated to the ideals of Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service. These students dedicate themselves to serving our community, and all of us in the community should be proud of their accomplishments.

Students Appear on MassAppeal to Promote South Hadley Food Bank

South Hadley High School students Melanie Young and Sophia Kebbede were recently on the TV program MassAppeal to promote the Halloween Children's parade happening on October 30th.  The walk will benefit the South Hadley Food Pantry - a canned food item and a $5 donation are appreciated.  Sophia  and Melanie also discussed their roles as Community Service Interns and why it is important for High School students to get involved in the community.

MassAppeal Show

South Hadley Students Help In the Fight Against Juvenile Diabetes

South Hadley High School students Juliet Chenier, Olivia Alderman, Jay Patruno, and Tess Gauthier participated in a walk at Six Flags for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). More than 3,000 people attended the walk to support research into the treatment and cure of juvenile diabetes.

Here is the link to the organization's web site

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Tremendous job!

GLEE and the Music Department

The Music Department has entered a contest hosted by the television show Glee in which they are trying to win a grant. The Music Department submitted a short video that will play on line. Please support the Music Department by voting for them at:

GLEE Voting Site

An Article About The New Principal

Here is the link to the Town Reminder article, which starts on page 3:

McNiff assumes roles as SHHS principal

AP PAYS!

South Hadley High School students earned $9,000.00 through the AP Grant Program (MMSI) for the number of qualifying scores earned last year. The Grant provides students $100.00 for every qualifying score (3 or better) they receive. On Tuesday, students will receive individual checks, some totaling $500.00. Amazing!

MCAS Math Scores to be Revised

Just to let the community know, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced on Friday that MCAS Math scores will be revised due to a calculation error. South Hadley High School has been informed that with the mistake corrected, the High School Math Program did indeed make it's Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), as required by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Here is a link to the Boston Globe Article describing the issue:

Boston Globe Article Link

South Hadley High School Teams Up With Mt. Holyoke

South Hadley High School and Mt. Holyoke College will once again be teaming up to open the South Hadley Writing Center.

Our students have already attended an all day summit at the college to become familiar with the protocols of the writing center and have an opportunity to tour the campus and mingle with the college community. Starting next week eight Mount Holyoke SAW volunteers will be going to South Hadley High School once a week to mentor high school students in the SHHS Writing Center.

Here is a blogpost from Mt. Holyoke describing their day with the students: 


Mt. Holyoke Community Based Learning Blog