Duxbury High School WEEKLY NEWS

Web site: HUwww.duxbury.k12.ma.usUH 130 Saint George Street, Duxbury, MA 02332 phone: 781.934.7650

MARK THESE DATES

October 17th

DHS PTO meeting 7 pm

October 17th&18th DHS Musical

Auditions

October 21st Homecoming Day

And Dance

October 26th DHS Picture Retakes

October 17, 2011

Dear parent/guardian

This Friday, October 21, 2011 is DHS Homecoming Day. The Senior Breakfast will be held during block one and a school wide Homecoming Pep Rally will occur during the last block of the school day. During halftime of the football game, the Homecoming Court, as selected by the students, will be recognized and the Homecoming King and Queen will be announced. After the football game (approximately 7:00pm) the Homecoming Dance will occur in the Student Lounge and end at 10:00pm.

I would like to thank the DHS PTO for their continued assistance and support for this important school wide event. Among many other things related to this day, the PTO is sponsoring the DJ at the Homecoming Dance, decorating for the breakfast, the pep rally and the football game. The PTO has also donated the flowers and arranged golf carts for the halftime event.

The students have been informed of the expectations as they relate to their conduct and attire. On Friday, students are encouraged to wear the following colors:

Grades 9-11: In honor of our troops, all students are asked to wear red, white and blue. Grade 12: Class T Shirts (received at Senior Breakfast) Please help your son or daughter to make good decisions for this memorable day.

• The DHS Fall Tournament of Plays will be held on October 27, 28, and 29, 2011 in the Good Knight Theater beginning at 7:30pm. Theater goers are treated to three class plays that are always entertaining to watch. I urge you all to attend on any of the show nights in support of our Drama Program.

• Last Wednesday our sophomores and juniors all took the PSAT during the school day. Thanks go to Counselor Bruce Hamilton and Assistant Principal Kathy Davis-McDonough who prepared the logistics for this very busy morning. At the same time our freshmen and seniors had assemblies with motivational speaker Ed Gerety, who did a great job in connecting with the students and conveying a very positive message about leadership. Many to Kathy Davis-McDonough and the DHS PTO for their help in bringing this important event to DHS.

• This past Saturday, the Boston String Quartet performed a concert and were joined by Duxbury and Foxboro High School musicians for several selections. In preparation for this event, our string ensemble students on Friday participated in a number of workshops and rehearsals that were led by these professional musicians. This was a great experience for the kids and they did a great job!

• Picture retakes for DHS students are slated to occur next Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Students need to bring their original package to the auditorium during their respective lunch period. Those students who did not get their photo taken can pick up a form in the main office to bring with them.

Thank you, and have a great week!

Andrew Stephens

The DEF Phone-a-thon is coming up in mid-November, and we're reaching out to you to help us get the word out at the high school about the event. Once again, we'll be asking students to help us out on the phones (with the chance to win an iPad and other incentives), as well as staff members. Could we talk at some point about getting sign-up sheets in the office, contact with NHS and generally promoting the event? Last year DEF raised $48,000 in the phone-a-thon; it has become DEF's primary fundraiser for the grants it awards back into the schools.

From the Guidance Office: AP Payment: Bills will be sent home to students who are enrolled in AP courses that will test at the end of this year. Payment is $87 and is due to the Guidance Office by November 4th. Please make checks payable to Duxbury High School. All students who are enrolled in an AP course are required to sit for the AP exam at the end of the course. Non-payment will result in the “AP” designation being removed from the student’s transcript. If you have questions, please see your Guidance Counselor. Seniors: If you are applying to college this year, you must submit the Transcript Request Form, at least three weeks prior to your first deadline. It is VERY important that you pay attention to this otherwise it may impact our ability to send your transcript packet on time to meet that deadline. Transcript Release Forms are available on the website as well as in the Guidance Office. You are also reminded that SAT/ACT scores must be sent directly from Collegeboard or ACT in order for your colleges to receive them. See your Guidance Counselor with any questions. Communication Reminder: If you need to reach a Guidance Counselor please send us an email, make an appointment, or call the office. Most days we are unable to accommodate walk-in appointments due our extremely booked schedules this time of year. We ask that you give us 24 hours to respond to emails and voicemails. If it is an urgent situation, please state that to the person who answers the phone and we will work to address it. Do not use email for urgent situations. Repeated calls and voicemails are not necessary – we will return all emails and calls as soon as we possibly can. We thank you for your patience and understanding. Service Academy Night A congressional staff member will be on hand to discuss the federal academy appointment and nomination process. All interested students and parents in grades 9-12 are invited to attend on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers, MA starting at 6:30pm. For more information please contact Capt Ed Bryant, USCGR at 978-356-5453 or captecb29@aol.com Plymouth High School College Fair: All students and families are encouraged to attend the local college fair at Plymouth South High School on October 18th from 6pm-8pm. A list of colleges and universities that will be attending this fair is available in the DHS Guidance Office. Upcoming Events: Tuesday, November 8th at 7pm – MEFA College Financing Wednesday, November 16th at 7pm – Recruitment and Admissions SAT: November 5, 2011, December 3, 2011, January 28, 2012, March 10, 2012, May 5, 2012, June 2, 2012 (June not held at DHS) To register for a test date please go to www.collegeboard.com ACT: October 22, 2011, December 10, 2011, February 11, 2012, April 14, 2012, June 9, 2012 To register for a test date please go to www.act.org

PTO News Our next meeting is tonight, Monday October 17th at 7 pm in the library. Please join us to help plan for this year’s homecoming festivities. If you haven’t joined the PTO or purchased your calendar, it’s not too late! Please visit the PTO “tab” on the DHS website to pay online or to download an application.

NEWS FROM THE DUXBURY SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

UPCOMING PUBLIC FORUM ON NEW SCHOOLS

The Duxbury School Building Committee is pleased to announce that Duxbury’s proposed co-located middle school and high school project was unanimously supported by the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts School Building Authority on September 28. The next step in proceeding with the project is to obtain local authorization from Duxbury voters for final design and construction funding. Members of the SBC and School Committee, along with Duxbury architect Dennis Daly of Mount Vernon Group, will hold a series of public presentations to update the community on the project. The public is encouraged to become informed about the project prior to the October 29 Special Town Meeting and November 5 Election. A Town Meeting article and a ballot question will request voter approval for construction funding.

• Saturday, October 29, 9am, Town Meeting at the PAC • Saturday, November 5, 7am-4pm, Town Election at DMS

A copy of Mount Vernon Group’s schematic design submission, renderings and floor plans are available for public review at the Duxbury Free Library and at the superintendent’s office. More information is available on the school website, www.duxbury.k12.ma.us.

ATTENTION PARENTS OF JUNIORS: Solving the College Admissions Puzzle

A Four-Sessions Workshop Series for Parents of High School Juniors October 20, November 17, January 12 and March 15 -- 7-8:30pm at the Duxbury Student Union The Parent Connection presents this series of four workshops to help parents of high school juniors navigate the college admissions process. Diane Dunlap of College Assist will provide methods, resources and tools to help understand the process and manage it with as little stress as possible. Ms. Dunlap uses her experience as a college admissions coach as well as her 22 years of experience as a guidance counselor and Director of Guidance at Duxbury High School to help parents calm the frenzy surrounding the college search and application process. Each session will include an interactive presentation, anecdotes, a Q&A and handouts. The workshop will focus on learning the basics, organizing the process, dealing with the social pressures that often arise and becoming an educated consumer. Registration and payment are required in advance and space is limited to the first 30 people who sign up at www.theparentconnection.org. The cost for the program is $125 per person. If space permits, spouses may attend for an additional $50 for the four sessions with no handout. This program sold out last year. Reserve your spot today.