Hamp High Lights

380 Elm Street

Hamp High Lights

Northampton, MA 01060
Editor: Denise Lello
hamphighlights@gmail.com

Volume 29, Issue 04 December 2008

Hamp Happenings
December 16 Poetry Slam for Students
December 24 - January 2 Holiday Recess
January 19 Martin Luther King Celebration No School
21 Winter Concert featuring performances by NHS
Concert Band,NHS Chorus & other NHS
choral groups
22-24 Winter theater production The Madwoman of
Chaillot
28-29 Final Exams for Semester 1. Both are 1/2
days 7:30 - 11:45
30 No School Hamp High Lights is
published monthly for
February 2 Second Semester Begins
NHS parents by the
12 Second Semester Open Hosue
PTO of Northampton
16-20 Winter Break High School at 380 Elm
27 Faculty Talent Show Street Northampton,
April 2-4 Sweet Charity Musical Production MA. Deadlines for sub-
20-24 Spring Break missions are the 15th of
May TBA Battle of the Bands each month or the Fri-
14 Spring Concert featuring performances by NHS day preceding the 15th
Concert Band, NHS Chorus and other NHS if it falls on a weekend.
choral groups Hamp High Lights is
18 A Capella CD Release at Iron Horse brought to you by the
26 Senior Prom PTO. Let us know if
30 Graduation there’s something you’d
Northampton Parent Advisory Council (PAC) will have a general like to have included.
meeting on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 pm at the JFK Middle School Leave news at the front
Library. The PAC is made up of families with children with special office (preferably on disc)
needs, including those who have IEPs, 504 accommodations, and out- hamphighlights@gmail.com.
of-district placements. The PAC partners with the Northampton Public You can receive email
School System to help parents and children make the most of special updates on all sorts of
education. For more information, please call Alison Greene at news and events relating
585-8910 or email at anewittg@gmail.com or Valle Dwight
to Northampton High
at 584-4165 or email at vedwight@yahoo.com.”
School by logging on to
www.hamphigh.org and
As always, a GREAT BIG thank you to Carol MacColl
going to the Parents and
and her staff at Paradise Copies for her generous Community Site. Click on
donation of printing services and technical assistance the NHS Update link, and
for Hamp Highlights. She makes it possible for the fill out a simple form.
newsletter to be produced monthly. That’s all there is to it!
 9:00AM B V WR @ Pioneer Valley

9:00AM B V WR @ Longmeadow
College Applications teachers who are writing letters for them with stamped,
addressed envelopes (in this case a .42 cent stamp will be
Financial Aid Workshop for Senior

Wrestling Invitational
sufficient) so that the teachers can make copies of their
Parents

6:00AM Craft Fair

6:00AM Craft Fair
letters and mail them. The Guidance Office does not mail

SAT Testing
The Guidance Department is sponsoring a financial teachers’ letters as part of students’ transcript packages.

Early Bird
aid workshop here at the high school on Tuesday, 5) SAT/ACT Scores: Students must go online to the

Sat

13

20

27
December 11, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Little

6
College Board (www.collegeboard.com) or to ACT
Theater. Mr. David Belanger, Director of Student (www.actstudent.org) to request that their scores be sent

3:45PM BG V WT Chicopee Comp

5:30PM G JV BKB Longmeadow

7:00PM G V BKB Longmeadow

Financial Services at Smith College, will take you to their colleges. The Guidance Office does not send

5:30PM B JV BKB @ Holyoke

7:00PM B V BKB @ Holyoke

4:00PM BG V SWM Central
step-by-step through all questions on the financial aid

6:30PM BG V WT Holyoke
these scores as part of the application mailing.

4:00PM Craft Fair Set Up

forms (FAFSA and CSS Profile). All questions will be
answered, and you will leave the workshop with the
knowledge necessary to complete the forms. This
workshop is intended for senior parents who are or
4:00PM Craft Fair Set Up
Word Art
Sure to brighten up a winter day, this year’s
Poetry Slam, the 11th annual, will take place on
December 16 during school. We will keep with the

Fri
will be filling out the financial aid forms for college

12

19

26
5
entrance in the fall of 2009. tradition of inviting local poets to share their work
College Application Information and inspire students in the first week of December,
just after Thanksgiving. These workshops will take

Northampton High School - December 2008

5:00PM BG V SKI (Practice)

Although the college application process can be

3:30PM BG V SWM @ East

4:15PM B FR BKB Holyoke

somewhat stressful for seniors and their parents, the place every period and teachers must sign up to bring
Guidance Office is here to help. We process over 1,000 their classes.
college application mailings in an average year, so please Parents, you can encourage your child to

Longmeadow
note the following points which will help streamline and participate and also discuss other ways of supporting
poetry in our school with the PTO.

Thur
clarify the process.

11

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25

Schedule Star 800-822-9433

Submissions for entry should be given to Ms.

4
1) Deadlines: The Guidance Office needs to know
students’ college application plans at least two weeks Strauss in room 303 no later than Wednesday,

5:30PM B JV BKB @ Minnechaug

7:00PM B V BKB @ Minnechaug
4:00PM B FR BKB Minnechaug
before the application deadline(s). If the student has any December 10. A participation guideline sheet will be
available for all slammers. The success of the Slam

JANUARY 1st deadlines, we ask that he/she make that
known to us (and provide School Report Forms - see
below) no later than DECEMBER 10th because of the
winter holiday vacation.
2) School Report Forms: Most colleges have a form
7:00PM B V WR Gateway
rides on student work. Let’s see if it’s possible for
this ninth grade class to compare with the stellar
participation of last year’s.
Stay tuned to www.hamphigh.org for further

Wed
for the guidance counselor to fill out, and to which we information in the Daily Bulletin.

10

17

24

31
3

7:00PM G V BKB @ Chicopee Comp

will attach the counselor’s letter of recommendation. If Chorus, Chamber Choir and The

11/14/2008
4:00PM B FR BKB Chicopee Comp 4:00PM BG V SWM @ Minnechaug

10:00AM B V WR @ Phil Tonkeil

the college accepts the Common Application, there is a
Northamptones

5:30PM G JV BKB @ Chicopee

4:00PM BG V SWM @ Monson
5:30PM G JV BKB @ Agawam

7:00PM B V WR South Hadley

5:30PM G JV BKB Hampshire

7:00PM G V BKB @ Agawam

7:00PM G V BKB Hampshire

School Report form that is part of the Common App

5:30PM Football Banquet

package. These forms can be downloaded from the Upcoming Performances:

Wrestling Invitational
schools’ websites, or, in the case of the Common App, Nov. 20th all three groups will give a concert at
from www.commonapp.org. The Common App form is JacksonSt.School
also available on the high school’s website Nov. 24th The Northamptones will be singing with

Comp
(www.hamphigh.org) at the Guidance link, or in the

Tue
the DADZ at the Iron Horse 7PM

16

23

30
2

9
Guidance Office.
December 6th The Chorus will sing carols at the

7:00PM B V BKB @ Chicopee Comp

3) Envelopes: We ask that students provide
annual Tree Lighting in Pulaski Park , 4:30

5:30PM B JV BKB @ Chicopee

3:30PM B FR BKB @ Sci Tech

envelopes addressed to their colleges. The return

5:00PM BG V SKI (Practice)

December 10th all three groups will give a

5:30PM B JV BKB Sci Tech

7:00PM B V BKB Sci Tech
address area should be left blank - we will use the
school’s return address stamp. Adding postage is not concert at the Bridge St.School

Winter Sports Begin

necessary, but if you would like to donate stamps, they December 11th the Chamber Choir will sing at
are most helpful to us if you give them separately (not Helen Hills Hills Chapel 6pm (annual choral
affixed to the envelopes). This is because we have to festival)

Comp
Mon
weigh all mail, and application packets usually cost at December 17th all three groups will travel to

15

22

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1

8
least .59 cents. New York to see Mama Mia and participate in a
4) Teacher letters of recommendation: Many workshop
colleges require one or (usually) two letters of December 20th The Northamptones will be
recommendation from teachers. Students are expected to singing on Main St. from 2-4pm
manage this aspect of the application process on their

8:00AM Craft Fair

8:00AM Craft Fair
December 31st The Northamptones will give
own with their teachers. Students should provide the
their annual concert at Edward’s Church at 5pm.
Sun

14

21

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PT
PTO O UPD
UPDA ATE!
We hope that everyone received their
NHS Student Directory in the mail! If you
didn’t, you can pick up a copy at the high school
office. Our first directory lists students’ and staff
contact information, plus useful school
information. We hope you’ll find it useful! We
extend a huge thank you to Scott Daniels for such
professional work!!
Along with the directory you also
received our annual fall fundraising letter.
Thank you in advance for your donations to the
PTO; the money we raise will be used to
purchase supplies and equipment that the budget
may not cover, and to support programs that
enrich the education of our children. Donations
should be sent to NHS PTO, 380 Elm Street,
Northampton, 01060. The PTO has non-profit
status and donations are tax deductible.
NHS “Spirit Gear” Sale
And, of course, there are other ways to
support the PTO! We’ll be holding our in-school
NHS “Spirit Gear” Sale during the lunch
period from Dec. 1st through Dec. 5th. Check
out the snuggly sweatshirt/fleece throw blankets!
We’ll be selling umbrellas, water bottles, and
cinch sacks too- available separately or bundled
for a reduced price. These are great items for you
to buy for your kids- and great items for your
kids to buy for you!! Look for the order form in
this newsletter!
FSB Customers’ Choice
This is our last month to send in votes for
the PTO in the Florence Savings Bank
Customers’ Choice Community Grant program!
We have until December 31st to WIN! If you
haven’t already voted then now’s the time. The
easiest way to do it is by going to
www.florencesavings.com or complete the ballot
BELOW and turn it in to FSB. Only FSB
customers are eligible.
PTO meeting December 16 7 p.m.
And lastly, a reminder that EVERYONE is
welcome at our PTO meetings! The next one is
on December 16th, at 7 p.m. in the NHS library.
See you then!
Comm
Communityunity Edition of P oetry Slam
Poetry
The PTO is pleased once again to help sponsor
the annual Poetry Slam, which will take place
during school on December 16th. This year 6
winners of the slam will be honorary performers at
the monthly poetry slam at 8 p.m. on Thursday,
December 18th at the Yellow Sofa, in downtown
Northampton. We encourage family, friends, and
poetry enthusiasts to come and support these
young artists! Stop by while you’re doing some
last minute holiday shopping!!
From the School Nurses Office:Young Drivers
When a high school student begins to drive
it’s both exciting and stressful for parents and
guardians. Junior Operator Laws have been
developed, using driver accident statistics, to keep
young drivers safe. In a nut shell, The Junior
Operator Laws state that a driver between 16.5
and 18 years old:
Cannot drive between 12:30-5:00am without
a parent or guardian present
Cannot carry passengers under 18 for the
first 6 months unless a licensed driver over
21 is present in the front passenger seat
A speeding ticket will result in:
90-day License Suspension
Mandatory Retraining Course
Minimum $100 Fine
More detailed information is available at
www.mass.gov/rmv; from this web-site here are
some helpful tips for parents and guardians
How Parents Can Help Young Drivers From the
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
• Don’t allow your Junior Operator to drive friends
to or from school, a dance, game or other function.
If your child is subject to the Passenger Restriction
there is no exception.
• Don’t let your child ride with other Junior
Operators subject to the Restriction, except with a
licensed adult.
• Establish your own “family penalty” for a
violation, make it serious, and let your child know it
in advance.
• Don’t turn your inexperienced young driver into
the family taxi driver for your other children (it’s
legal, but risky).
• If your new driver has the car after school and on
weekends, make sure you know who else is in it.
• Never choose convenience over safety!
Class of 2010 Food Drive
Needs Your Help
As you may already know, the main job of class
officers at our high school is to raise money. In our
perpetual quest for funds, we realized that we could
do some good in the process by raising money
through a food drive. The components are relatively
common. Schools, churches, and other institutions
of goodwill often run food drives in which members
bring in non-perishable foods to be donated. You’ve
no doubt also seen “walk-athon” style events such
as the Relay for Life where people pledge to donate
for each mile walked.
In the Class of 2010 Food Drive we’re
putting it all together and asking for you to sponsor
our class for every pound of food we can collect to
donate to the Northampton Survival Center.
Students will bring in dried and canned foods
throughout the month of December, culminating in a
final weigh-in on the nineteenth. Given that a bag of
spaghetti weighs in at one pound, while a can of tuna
is six ounces, a donation of one or two cents for
each pound of food the school raises would be very
generous and greatly appreciated. Hopefully, the
food and the pledges will spur one another on into a
wildly successful fundraiser for both us and the
Survival Center. But it has to start with you. To get
a pledge sheet or for more information, simply go to
hamphigh.org and click “Food Drive” in the
sidebar. Thank you.
Green with Envi
Opportunities abound for NHS student to
exercise their environmental muscles this year
through participation with the NHS Environmental
Club and the new NHS Green Team. The
Environmental Club is comprised of about 20
students who meet on Tuesday afternoons in room
215 to organize and implement ways to promote a
healthy and responsible environment. So far this
year, the Environmental Club has held two
fundraisers to raise money to buy and plant trees
this spring and has plastered the school with
posters educating people on sustainability facts and
proper recycling techniques. On Veterans Day, the
Environmental Club students rolled up their sleeves
to pick up trash in and around the Northampton
Bike Trail and the Barrett Street Marsh. The club is
also in the middle of a Zero Trash Friday initiative
for the month of November which challenges the
students to produce “zero trash” in the lunchroom
every Friday. The Environmental Club weighs,
calculates, and posts the trash produced per
person in each lunch period every Friday. The
lunch period that produces the least amount of
trash per person at the end of the month will win a
delicious prize.
The Zero Trash Friday initiative is the
brainchild of Micky Darling, a Northampton
community volunteer who works with area schools
to promote environmental responsibility and
awareness. Micky was also the catalyst for the
formation of NHS’ first Green Team. The Green
Team shares the same vision as the Environmental
Club, but it is open to parents, teachers, and
community members in addition to NHS students.
The first Green Team meeting was held in the
school library on Thursday November 12th at
6pm. At the meeting, members brainstormed
topics to investigate and implement during the
school year. Such topics included organizing the
existing recycling procedures at NHS, creating a
school garden, promoting biking and carpooling to
school, surveying classes about their attitudes
toward recycling, artistic representations of wasted
paper and plastic, environmental awareness
assemblies, energy audits for the building, as well
as collaborating with other Northampton Green
Teams.
Check out the Northampton High Website
(http://www.hamphigh.org/) to find information
about the meeting times and places of the
Environmental Club and the Green Team.
Varsity makes baseball history
On November 12, 2008, the Northampton High
School senior varsity baseball players were proud to
help Historic Northampton dedicate a memorial to
the Florence Eagles, a team from the 1860’s that
was noteworthy not only for its many on-field
successes but also because it was the first
integrated baseball team in the nation. Located at
the Florence Civic Center, the kiosk
commemorating the Eagles is part of a city-wide
initiative celebrating Northampton’s rich history.
Blue Devils seniors dressed in authentic 19th
century baseball uniforms to help commemorate the
event. Hamp High Sports News
This recent event is another part of the www.hamphigh.org
Northampton High School baseball team’s long The above address is the portal to
Northampton Athletics. Click on Athletics Link and
tradition of active involvement with community
events and the city’s youth baseball programs. For you will find Athletic Announcements, Team Web
over 17 years, varsity players have helped with youth Sites, Coach’s Emails, and much more.
league evaluations, and more recently the team has Fall sports are winding down with our annual
conducted clinics for youth league coaches. In Thanksgiving Day football game November 27 at
addition to those activities, the Blue Devils have Amherst High school starting at 10:00 am. Golf won
dramatically increased their community involvement their league for the second year in a row, boys
by hosting several major teaching and coaching soccer qualified for the Western Mass tournament
events at NHS’ Kearney Field. where they lost in the quarterfinals. Boys cross
INFORMED PARENTS=SAFER country finished finished second in the Western
Mass Tournament and also picked up a second place
KIDS
finish in the PVIAC championships. Boys and girls
As we approach the holiday season, many
cross country also traveled to Brown University in
parents may struggle with social norms around
Rhode Island to com pete in the Brown Cross
adolescents drinking in the home. Data strongly
Country Championships. Boys JV finished third for
shows that a consistent non-use message from
division one and the boys varsity also finished third in
parents is one of the best prevention tools we have.
the A-1 division. Erik Dunn-Gaudett finished first in
However, many misconceptions about adolescent
the PVIAC cross country championships. Field
alcohol use still persist. A commonly held
hockey experienced a much improved season over
perception, and one that is often used as an
the last few years winning more games this season
argument for lowering the drinking age in the U.S.,
than the last two seasons combined. Congratulations
is around alcohol use in Europe, where laws and
go out to all our young student athletes.
attitudes around drinking are much more liberal.
Winter sports are gearing up for another
Proponents of lowering the minimum drinking age in
season, Cheering, Diving, Skiing, Swimming, Winter
the U.S. assert that because alcohol is part of the
Track, and Wrestling will hold tryouts/practices
culture in Europe, and young people learn to drink at
starting Monday December 1. All athletes and their
younger ages within the context of the family, that
parents/guardians are reminded that all forms, fees,
adolescent Europeans learn to drink more
and physical needs to be completed before they can
responsibly than their American counterparts.
practice or try out.
However, a recent report from the U.S. Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, based
Two new coaches will be working the
sidelines this season and another will move up in the
on findings from the 2003 European School Survey
ranks. Perry Messer will be guiding last years State
Project on Alcohol and other Drugs, demonstrates
Champion Girls Basketball team replacing Tom
that this is NOT the case. In fact, a greater
Parent who was with the program for 26 years.
percentage of all adolescents in most European
Willie Pope has moved up from Freshmen boys
countries report drinking in the past 30 days, a
greater percentage of young people report drinking
coach to the Junior Varsity team replacing Craig
Fydenkevez. Mike O’Brien, a Hamp High alum will
five or more drinks in a row (defined as “binge
be doing the Boys freshmen team.
drinking”), and a majority of European countries
There will be a ski club again this year for
report higher youth intoxification rates than the U.S.
six ski Thursdays in January and February.
This data does NOT support the assertion that
Information will be available beginning of December.
earlier initiation with alcohol results in more
Check the athletic web site for updates.
“responsible” drinking patterns. So, if your
Winter season passes will be sold beginning
adolescent, or another parent, uses this argument in
Dec 1. Pricing information and order forms will be
support of lowering the drinking age in the U.S., or
on the athletic web site.
for justification in allowing adolescent alcohol use in
James M. Miller
their home, you can now be armed with a good data
Director of Athletics
in support of a non-use message!
Northampton High School