Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Postponement: Incoming Ninth Grade Informational Presentation

Due to the forecast of snow beginning on Wednesday afternoon and continuing through Wednesday evening, the incoming ninth grade student and parent informational meeting scheduled for February 29 will be postponed until Thursday, March 8 at 7pm in the Nipmuc auditorium.

We look forward to welcoming our incoming freshmen and their parents on the 8th.

Monday, February 27, 2012

A Year in Review

It was great to welcome our students back into the building this morning after a week of vacation.  It’s difficult to believe that we have already reached this point in the year. Today marks our 107th day of school in the 2011-2012 school year. As we come upon the midpoint of term three, the onset of the month of March, and the advent of our spring sports season, it is interesting to look back on the year to date and consider how much has been accomplished since September.

Included below is a list of some of the highlights from our current year. If you are a frequent visitor to the blog, I invite you to take a look at this abbreviated year in review.  If you are new to this blog, I hope that you enjoy the chance to get a glimpse of life at Nipmuc.  

I am particularly excited to welcome current eighth graders and their parents as they get a glimpse of life at Nipmuc Regional. On Wednesday evening at 7pm in the Nipmuc auditorium, I will be welcoming our current eighth graders and their parents to Nipmuc for an information session that will provide an introduction to our school. I am looking forward to taking that opportunity to introduce them to our students, the rigor of our academic offerings, and the vitality of our student life. As they prepare to visit our school, I am glad to provide them with this quick overview of the year at Nipmuc.

Feel free to enter your email address where it says “follow my blog” in order to receive updates whenever an update is made to the site.

Our Year in Review:










Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards

Katherine Halsing's Gold Key
Award Winning  Self-Portrat

Each year the Boston Globe assembles a panel of judges to evaluate student art work from across Massachusetts. We are fortunate to have students recognized in these awards each year. Congratulations to the 2012 winners of the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards.

Eric Brodeur: Silver Key (Photography)
Eric Brodeur: Honorable Mention (Photography)
Kelsey Campbell: Honorable Mention (Painting)
Katherine Halsing: Gold Key (Mixed Media)
Molly King: Honorable Mention (Printmaking)
Emily Martin: Silver Key (Drawing)
Joshua Noreau: Honorable Mention (Comic Art)
Joshua Noreau: Silver Key (Painting)
Celia Taylor: Silver Key (Printmaking)
Kendal Til: Honorable Mention (Painting)
Rose Wiklund: Honorable Mention (Painting)

Check out the award winning entries below: (slide show may not be visible on a mobile device or iPad)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Imagine the Possibilities at Nipmuc Regional

On February 29 we will be holding an informational session for incoming ninth graders and their parents. On that evening I look forward to welcoming these students and their parents to Nipmuc Regional High School. I am excited to introduce them to our rigorous academic offerings, our active student life, and the enriching culture of our school. 

As they prepare for their visit to Nipmuc, I invite them and all of our school community to check out the video below and begin to imagine the possiblities at Nipmuc. 

Imagine the Possibilities: 

Friday, February 3, 2012

Beginning the College Search

Beginning the College Search:
As a reminder, the guidance department will be providing a repeat of its January "Breakfast with Guidance" presentation on Monday, February 6 at 6:30pm. This workshop is designed to provide an introduction for parents to the college search and application process. Parents of juniors are especially encouraged to attend. 

The workshop will take place at 6:30pm on Monday, February 6 in the Nipmuc auditorium.

Winter Semi-Formal Dance: Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,

As we approach this weekend, I know that many of our students are looking forward to the Winter Semi-formal dance that will take place on Saturday night. Each year this event serves as one of the highlights of the winter for our students. I am thankful for the work of our student council in planning, organizing, and running this much anticipated event. I am especially proud of our council members this year as they will be donating all of the proceeds from the event to benefit the memory of Jack Street.

Throughout the school year, our extracurricular activities have continually reinforced how fortunate we are at Nipmuc to have such great kids as part of our school. Nevertheless, over the course of the past few semi-formal dances, I have heard from an increasing number of parents and students who are concerned about the way that our students dance and dress at these events. I appreciate this feedback and I wanted to take a moment to discuss this issue with all of our parents.

The concern raised about dancing is that it is overly suggestive and inappropriate for school events. While I know that this does not apply to all of our students, I share the concern that some of the dancing is too suggestive. Likewise, some of our students’ attire at these dances is too tight or revealing to be appropriate for school events. In preparation for tomorrow evening, I am asking that you take a moment to speak to your child about these concerns. I am confident that these conversations will be extremely helpful in making the dance the kind of event that we hope it will be.

Please know that I addressed our students today to share these concerns and to inform them that I have sent a letter home to parents. I will speak to them again at the start of the dance on Saturday night to remind them of our expectations. I will also address these issues individually should they occur tomorrow evening.

Please know, also, that I have discussed this topic at length with Nipmuc’s Student Advisory Council – a representative group of students across all grade levels at Nipmuc. I am very thankful for their candid conversation and their wholehearted support of my letter to you this afternoon. With their encouragement, I also ask that you speak to your child about making good choices regarding drugs and alcohol. By offering reminders and conversation at school and at home, we are hopeful that all of our students will be able to have a fun, safe, and memorable night.

Again, thank you for taking the time to address these topics with your child. I appreciate your support in working with the school as partners in your child’s high school experience.

Sincerely,
John K. Clements
Principal