Announcements May 2 - 6, 2016

Morning Announcements
Do you like to travel? Did you hear about the fun adventures students had in Italy over April vacation?  Well next year during April vacation we will be traveling to Spain and you can come with us! There will be another parent night, if you haven't already attended one, on Tuesday, May 17th at 7 p.m. in Room 239 .  See Ms. Reardon with any questions.

Would you like to see what Mr. Ferris, Mrs. Kyrka, Mrs. Towne, Mrs. Hefez and many other faculty and staff members wore to their proms? Come to the media center to see the historical prom collection.  See who wore what dress and who wore what tux.

Attention Sophomores!  A representative from Herff Jones will be here in the cafeteria during lunches on Thursday, May 12.  If you need your ring resized or want to order a ring, please come by at lunch on May 12.

Do you want volunteer hours?  Spend time landscaping the Upton Senior Center on May 15th from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Pasta lunch will be served for full-day volunteers.  Contact Sarah Nasif if interested.  nasifs18@student.mursd.org                    

Student Feature Friday: Sophomore Sarah Nasif Winner of WMRC/Dean Bank High School Leadership Award

Left to Right: Kathy Larracey, School Counselor; John Clements, Principal; Kevin Goffe, President Dean Bank,
Award Winner Sarah Nasif; Tom McAuliffe, President WMRC, Mary Anne Moran, Associate Principal;
 Maureen Cohen, Director of Curriculum

On Thursday morning I was excited and thankful to welcome representatives from Dean Bank and WMRC to Nipmuc to present the Dean Bank/WMRC Radio High School Student Leadership Award to sophomore Sarah Nasif. It was an exciting opportunity to work with two community partners as we celebrate the fantastic work of our students. In addition to receiving the award, we had the chance to take part in a live radio broadcast that highlighted the many ways that Sarah excels as a student leader at Nipmuc. 

Sarah is a talented student, performer, and leader who has distinguished herself at Nipmuc in a variety of ways. She is a member of Nipmuc’s volleyball and lacrosse teams, a member of her class’s executive board, and Nipmuc’s Model UN club. In addition, she has been acting in Nipmuc’s Drama Guild since freshman year where she has starred in productions such as “Grease” and “Almost, Maine”.

Most recently, Sarah has taken on the challenge of increasing her capacity as a student leader by participating in the Blackstone Valley Youth Leadership Academy. Supported by the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation, the leadership academy provides students from across the valley the chance to attend workshops in order to develop their leadership capacity, design a community service project, and make a difference in the community. As a member of the BVYLA Class of 2016, Sarah has worked with students from other high schools to learn about the characteristics of a leader, how to manage diverse responsibilities, and how to market one’s achievements.

Through this program Sarah has organized a community service project to support the Upton Senior Center where she will be beautifying the gardens for our community's seniors. 

Q:  What are some leadership activities that you have participated in during your high school career?
A:  This year I was enrolled by one of my teachers into the Blackstone Valley Youth Leadership Academy. I also was able to act as a leader for my younger teammates in this past volleyball season. Nipmuc's Model UN and my class's student executive board are school leadership opportunities that I have taken advantage of as well.

Sarah live on WMRC

Q: What has your experience with the BVYLA taught you about leadership?

A:  After participating in the BVYLA I've come to realize that the word "leader" does not follow a single definition; there are different types of leaders: quiet, loud, meticulous, careless, supportive, and overpowering. Of the many leader-types, each has their weaknesses and strengths. By being aware of these strengths and weaknesses, people can improve themselves in group settings.

Q:  Tell me about your community service project and what you hope to accomplish through this work.


Student Leadership Award

A:  I plan to rehabilitate the Upton Senior Center. I have contacted a carpenter in Upton who has agreed to be paid for work via GoFundMe. Along with interior improvements, I want to beautify the exterior with landscaping. Generous donations of perennial flowers, landscaping expertise, and volunteer work are all going to be part of a community service day. Many people who could greatly advantage from the Center's services are unaware of what the Center can offer or where it's located. I hope that this project will not only make the Senior Center more welcoming to the community, but will simultaneously promote the local businesses that contribute. As I have learned from the BVYLA, advertising and press releases are very important for business and volunteer events. If I promote my project enough, citizens of my town could learn more about the Center and the local businesses affiliated.

Q:  What other extracurricular activities have you been a part of during your high school career?
A:  I have been acting in Nipmuc's Drama Guild since the beginning of my freshman year. Lacrosse is my spring-season sport and I am currently on Yearbook Committee and Searching for Sunshine, a community service group.

Q:  What is your favorite subject?
A:  I gravitate towards anything science-related, especially chemistry.

Congratulations, Sarah. You can learn more about the award and listen to the interview by visiting WMRC's webpage here. 



Announcements April 25 - 29, 2016

Morning Announcements
Attention Certified Lifeguards!  Please see Mrs. Hennessy in room 230 for summer jobs in Westborough.

Looking for volunteer hours?  Spend time landscaping the Upton Senior Center on May 15th from 11:00 - 4:00.  Pasta lunch will be served for full-day volunteers.  Contact Sarah Nasif (nasifs18@student.mursd.org) if interested.

Attention Seniors!  Are you interested in speaking at graduation?  Do stop by the office and (1) register and (2) pick up the graduation rubric.  Tryouts are Tuesday, May 2nd at the close of school.  See Mr. Michael Clements for more details.

This Saturday, 4/30, Student Council will host "Warriors Walking for Warriors" - a 5K to benefit veterans in need.  All are invited to walk or run and join in activities on the field like: inflatable obstacle course, cotton candy, and face painting.  A link to the registration can be found on the Nipmuc StuCo Twitter page (https://twitter.com/NipmucStuco2014).  See you there!

April is National Poetry month and the week of April 11th is National Library Week!  So stop by the Media Center and enter your favorite poetry verse or write a new poem of your own.  Please put your name on it and drop it off in the poetry basket.  One winner will be randomly selected from those entered.  The winner will receive a gift card.

Prom tickets will be on sale for $75 from Monday, April 24 - Friday, April 29th.  Senior tickets will be sold in Room 239 (Ms. Reardon's room) during breaks and after school.  Junior tickets will be sold in Room 237 (Ms. Ahmed-Jussaume's room).  Forms must be completely filled out and class dues paid before ticket can be purchased.

Student Feature Friday - Art All-State Participant Daisy Prescott

Junior Daisy Prescott

On Friday, June 12 some of the best student artists in Massachusetts will be meeting on the campus of the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth to celebrate the annual Art All-State event. I am excited to announce that Nipmuc junior Daisy Prescott will represent our school as a 2016 Art All-State recipient. Over the course of the two-day event, Daisy will work with other student artists, a team of artist mentors, and local artists as they build a collaborative art installation on the theme of "No Limits".

In receiving this honor, Daisy submitted a portfolio of work and was interviewed by representatives from the Massachusetts Art Education Association who talked to her about her work and interests. In selecting Daisy for this honor, they have chosen a student who is bright, talented, articulate, and creative. I'm thrilled that she'll represent our school and the Nipmuc art department at this event.

For today's feature, I had the chance to meet with Daisy and ask her about this upcoming experience and share some of her impressive art work.

Q: What do you think is your greatest strength as an artist? 

A:  As an artist, my greatest strength would have to be the fact that I can take criticism well. In art it's important to be able to handle criticism because it's one of the things that helps you grow and flourish as an artist. It helps your art look very nice knowing what someone else thinks, and you can even learn something new. In my experience, I've definitely learned how to draw a thing or two because someone suggested I try it a different way.

Q: How has your art evolved/grown during your years at Nipmuc? 

A: My art has evolved in a variety of ways at Nipmuc. Besides learning the basic rules of art like complimentary colors and how to use them, my art style has slowly adopted different characteristics from other artists, mashing them with my own to make an even more unique style. When I was in middle school I was so focused on getting my art to look like everyone else's without realizing that's not how art works. In high school, I've come to learn what methods work best for me and what I'm working on.

Q: What are you most excited about when considering the opportunity to participate in Art All-State 2016? 

A: The whole matter of participating in Art All-State is very exciting to me, but if I had to pick what I was most excited for, it would be getting the chance to work with new artists and make new friends. I love meeting new people, especially people with common interests. I'm hoping to learn a lot from the others and maybe even teach them a thing or two. I hope to make a few friends to stay in contact with after All-State is over. When I come home, I hope to have all new methods under my wing, and I hope that a couple other people will go home with my own methods. I'm also rather excited for the t-shirt we get!

Announcements April 11 - 15, 2016

Morning Announcements
The Nipmuc Book Club will meet Thursday (4/14) after school.  All members please remember to bring your book with you to return.  If you can't make the meeting, please return your book to the media center.

Attention all staff and students:  You are invited to help the Nipmuc Art Department chose the art for our Art Show postcard invitation.  Please use the QR code posted next to the display boards in the lobby to pick your top 5 favorite art pieces.  If you have any questions, please see Mr. Campbell or Mrs. Clish.  Last day to cast your vote for the art work is today, 4/11.

Applications are available in the office and on the school's website for April's Driver Education Classroom Program.  Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. for 5 weeks beginning on April 26th.

April is National Poetry month and the week of April 11th is National Library Week!  So stop by the Media Center and enter your favorite poetry verse or write a new poem of your own.  Please put your name on it and drop it off in the poetry basket.  One winner will be randomly selected from those entered.  The winner will receive a gift card.

Prom tickets will be on sale for $75 from Wednesday, April 6 - Wednesday, April 13 and Monday, April 24 - Friday, April 29th.  Senior tickets will be sold in Room 239 (Ms. Reardon's room) during breaks and after school.  Junior tickets will be sold in Room 237 (Ms. Ahmed-Jussaume's room).  Forms must be completely filled out and class dues paid before ticket can be purchased.
 
Would you like to sign up to take a Virtual High School (VHS) class for next year?  Please see Mrs. V. in the Media Center for an application.  Please discuss this with your school counselor first.  All applications need to be in by April 11th.

Do you love adventure?  Was Eco-Pop your favorite science class? If so, how does 2 weeks on a tropical island sound?  What about learning to catch lizards, weigh birds and bats, learning to scuba dive or snorkel through coral reefs?  Come to the Nipmuc Opwall information session April 12th at 7 p.m..  See Mrs. Field in room 122 for details.