Murdock Middle/High School

NEWS

Volume 11, Issue 1 Quarter 1, 2008-09

Nicholas J. DeSimone Kent H. Forty

Principal Steven C. Meyer

Assistant Principals

www.winchendonk12.org

From the Principal’s Desk…

Greetings to all. It has been another great beginning to the school year. Our homecoming week revealed a school filled with students who are happy, involved and teeming with spirit!

We continue to analyze the needs of our students. With 2008 MCAS scores available, we have been busy analyzing data so we can target instruction and resources to areas needing improvement. In many ways we are well into the next school year as we continue to focus on our students’ needs.

We have made many changes coming into the 2008/2009 school year. We are pleased with our new schedule and course adjustments, and can already see promising results reflected in progress report grades and discipline data.

Our main goal is to provide rigorous, challenging classes that meet the needs of all students through differentiated instruction. Teachers continue to work hard to provide a standards-based classroom that includes regular assessment to inform instruction. Winchendon teachers are also working in a regional professional development forum called NAWWG-MT which allows teachers and administrators from Narragansett, Ashburnham-Westminster, Winchendon, Gardner, and Monty Tech to work together toward improved instruction in our region.

Our partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College continues to grow as we now offer a student success lab that utilizes peer tutoring for identified students. We also have a Mount Wachusett instructor teaching a dual enrollment course in the building during the school day. This provides greater access for students that may be considering college and will benefit from an early start. Mount Wachusett provides us with regular feedback about the preparedness of our students so we can better align academics for college readiness.

Thanks again to all the parents who volunteer time for our students and to the Murdock Boosters for all their support!

Congratulations to all students who qualified for the John & Abigail Adams scholarship. This annual scholarship is awarded to the top 25% of district students who achieved advanced/advanced or advanced/proficient on the MCAS exam and allows students to attend state colleges/universities tuition free. This year 23 students qualified.

Everybody enjoy the time over the holidays with family and friends.

Nicholas J. DeSimone

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

The following students have been recognized as Students of the Month for their work ethic, citizenship, and character:

September–high school Kara Komprathoum

September–middle school Nicole LaBrack

October–high school Nicholas LeBlanc

October–middle school Trisha Randall

Murdock Middle/High School

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients

Derek Baker Jack Maliska

Jordan Bresnahan Colleen Markham

Ashley Caisse Sarah McKellick

Lindsey Connor Rebecca Petros

Kaitlin Dwyer Jennifer Skawski

Amy Gaudet Kerri Spady

Brendan Harrington Katelyn St. Pierre

Harmony Hill Bekah Wheeler

Alexis Jenkins Ashlyn White

Felisha Kowlzan Tyler Willett

Lane Kurylo Arielle Wood

Sarah Lewis

Quarter 2 Calendar

November

4 No School-Professional Development

7 End of Quarter 1

7 Shopping Night

11 No School-Veterans’ Day

13 Financial Aid Night

13 Friends of Music Meeting

14 Middle School Dance

19&20 11:30 Dismissal—Parent-Teacher Conferences

21 Hall of Fame Induction

26-28 No School - Thanksgiving Recess

December

3 Dodge Ball Tournament

3 Winter Sports Registration Night

11 11:30 Dismissal-Professional Development

12 Progress Reports

16 Middle School Concert

22 High School Concert

24-Jan 2 No School-Christmas Break

January

5 Classes Resume

15 Grade 8 Parent Night

19 No School-MLK Day

23 11:30 Dismissal-Professional Development

23 End of Quarter 2

23 High School Semi Formal Dance

From Mr. Meyer, Assistant Principal

This school year has begun on a positive note. The students seem to be well-behaved and focused. Through the first forty days of school, discipline referrals for the high school are down 62%. This is a reflection of the maturity level of the students this year as well as the level of support we are receiving from home.

Overall, high school attendance is currently at 95.44%. The high school class with the highest percentage is currently the senior class at 95.92%. Remember, there is an attendance incentive program this year that will reward all high school classes with an attendance percentage at or above 95% with a class picnic. Just a reminder, the incentive program was modified this year to extend this benefit to students with perfect attendance, regardless of whether or not a class qualifies.

Finally, the last issue I would like to address is the use of cell phones. Please be advised that according to page 25 of the Student-Parent Handbook, “No cell phones, camera phones, radios, Walkman-type radios, cassette players, CD players or any music-playing devices are allowed for use or may be visible during the school day.” Although we understand that you may want your student to have a cell phone on them for after-school activities, please discuss with your student the importance of having these devices turned off during the school day. The National Education Association Office of General Counsel warns that cell phones have been used for “cheating, sexual harassment, prank calls, and intimidation,” as well as “to take pictures to harass others, including school personnel.” In order to provide a safe and effective learning environment, we are asking for your help in eliminating cell phone use during the day. If you need to communicate with your student during school hours, please do so by calling the main office at 978-297-1256.

From Mr. Forty, Assistant Principal

Students learn to grow their own food

Murdock Middle High School has recently formed an Agricultural Committee, helping to bring agriculture into the classroom. The idea of teaching students how to grow their own food grew after seeing how excited eighth grade students became last year when growing their own vegetables in buckets for a Bioengineering Technology course taught by John Caouette.

Assistant Principal Kent Forty, himself a farmer, found teachers and community members willing to help encourage students in the development of their green thumbs. The MMHS Agricultural Committee was formed and ideas began to flow. The mission statement written by the committee outlines a few objectives: Through Agriculture our students will make real life connections between curriculum, community, and school. In addition, agriculture will promote healthy, respectful, and productive citizens.

Mr. Forty has forged ties with the community, and the owners of Murdock Farms, Frank, Ken, and Raymond Girouard, have offered land on which students will be able to grow crops such as squash, pumpkins, and gourds. It is determined the students would begin by choosing seeds, start them in the classroom, plant in the spring, care for the garden, harvest in the fall, and sell what was grown at the local farmer’s market. The newly formed Town of Winchendon Agricultural Commission has offered its advice and expertise. The MMHS Agricultural Committee has taken on the challenge of composting, and has reached out to other districts already in the process of composting for advice. Recently a tag sale was held at MMHS, and the money earned will be used for tools, supplies, and seed. Donations are already coming in. MMHS wishes to thank Shawn and Janet Lee from 7-Acre Farm for donated seed, and there has been a donation of flowering bulbs to plant near the stone wall. The next meeting will be December 3rd at 4 PM in the MMHS Conference Room 136. For more information call 978-297-1256.

Parent’s Corner

My name is Kris Provost. I am a parent of four children. Two of my children are Murdock graduates presently attending college, one child is a junior at MMHS and one is a student at Toy Town Elementary. I presently serve as your co-chair for the MMHS Site Council. As co-chair I would like to define the purpose of the school council and present the three goal areas in the 2008-09 school improvement plan.

The school council meets monthly and is charged with assisting in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school, and making recommendations to the principal for the development, implementation, and assessment of the curriculum plan. Additionally, the council assists in the review of the annual school budget and formulates the school improvement plan.

The council formulated three target areas of improvement for the 2008-09 school year. The first goals is to “develop support initiatives to increase parent support.” This is in direct response to feedback from families not receiving information about events, meetings, conferences, success stories, or areas of concern. Many actions have been implemented to address this situation. We recognize how busy families are but also know that many people would like to be involved with their child’s educational experience in some capacity. This newsletter will offer information from several perspectives including parents. The local media and the new Global Connect system will contact homes directly with important announcements. It is our hope that if people are informed or even reminded of current events family participation will increase.

The second area is to “continue to develop programs and procedures to address bullying issues.” Building a community that values tolerance, acceptance, and diversity as well as creating an environment that is safe for all in attendance is an essential component of education. Much has been done at MMHS to raise awareness around this issue. Most recently the moving event Rachel’s Challenge was presented to the student body. The program chronicled the life of Rachel Scott, the first student to die in the tragic Columbine High School shootings. Rachel devoted her brief life to making everyone she came into contact with feel like they matter, because they do. The program encourages kindness and tolerance. This experience led 60 students to sign up and form a Friends of Rachel group devoted to improving our school environment.

The third area is to “develop ways to increase community awareness of the budget process.” This is a continuation from the previous school year. There has been a tremendous amount of work and cooperation between the school and town boards. The communication continues to improve.

Please call the school to get the date and time of our school council meetings. We recognize that families are an integral part of their children’s education. You are welcome to attend our meetings.

English/Foreign Language Dept. - Mr. Nardini, Coordinator

A number of Murdock Middle/High students recently received commendations for completing voluntary summer reading. These students chose as many as five works from a department generated list. After reading, each student composed a short reaction essay to each work. Students were rewarded with credit in ELA classes and with Summer Reading Incentive Program tickets. Each ticket will act as admission to a sporting event, the annual Tournament of Plays, or the Murdock School Musical.

The Murdock ELA/Foreign Language Department is offering a number of new electives for our high school students. Currently in session are Creative Writing, Speech and Drama, Film Studies, and Latin. Looking forward to the spring semester, we will be adding Children’s Literature to our department electives list. Student reaction has been quite positive to these additions, and our staff is pleased to be able to offer students more choices to fit their personal interests.

Math Dept. - Ms. Ricard, Coordinator

The math department received a very generous gift of six classroom sets of twenty-five graphing calculators, as well as six special overhead panels and graphing calculators for teachers to demonstrate in class. The calculators are Texas Instruments TI-84+ models, in a lovely shade of school bus yellow. Having these calculators available in class will enable students to explore the relationships between problems, equations, and their graphs much more easily and intuitively.

Each high school math classroom will be receiving one of these sets, and one will be shared by the middle school math classrooms. We offer our most grateful thanks to the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation for providing the funds to purchase these calculators.

Science & Technology Dept. - Mrs. Wright, Coordinator

Technology Education

There are currently 50 students in three woodworking classes working collaboratively to build 50 Adirondack chairs. Each class is run like a different shift (first, second, and third) of a company. Before one class leaves they will leave notes about the various stages of production that they are in. it’s great to see all the classes working together for a final product, much like you would see in the manufacturing industry.

The students in Mr. Fontaine’s graphics class have recently designed designing and printing notepads and business cards for themselves. They are currently working on a creating a book of poems with the PageMaker software. After mastering the PageMaker software they will move to the new Quark software for their projects.

The students in Mr. Fontaine’s photography classes are currently studying guidelines for taking technically correct photographs. Once they have taken the photographs, they are learning how to adjust the images with Photoshop software. Their next project will be to take the photographs for the senior class Oscars.

The students in Mr. Fontaine’s Engineering classes are studying the engineering design process, drafting, and scale by creating a scale model locker. They start by researching lockers for price and size. Next the students draw and dimensioning their ideal locker in isometric or orthographic. Finally they create a 1/2 size prototype for presentation to the class.

Nature's Classroom

The 7th grade students at Murdock Middle High School will once again be attending Nature's Classroom. The destination of this year's trip is Greenfield, New Hampshire. The trip will take place from April 13 - April 17, 2008. To find out more about this unique experience and to register your student, please contact Mrs. Jeleniewski at Murdock Middle High School—978-297-1256.

Social Studies Dept. - Mr. Forte, Coordinator

The social studies department has been focusing on democracy and the 2008 election during much of the first quarter. Three classes are participating in a model congress which allows the students to participate in a hands on activity to understand the legislative process and how bills become laws. Dominick Polcari was elected Speaker of the House and has been running the Congress for the past week making schedules and appointing committee heads. Committee heads have been busy steering various bills, written by the students, through their committees. The committee heads are as follow: Jocelyn Goodwin (Homeland security), Joe Carpenter (armed services), Adiamond Grover (Oversight and government reform), Lindsay Kuchta (Education and Labor), Karina Graham (Energy and Commerce), Kevin Houle (Agriculture), and Bryan Vaine (Budget).

The junior class held elections on November 4^th for the annual student government day on April 3^rd. This great opportunity for two juniors allows our students to participate in the democratic process at the State level. The elected student will go to the State House and for that day replace an elected representative. It is a phenomenal opportunity for any student to get an inside hands on look at how government works.

Special Education Dept. - Ms. Lindley, H.S. Coordinator

Ms. Lindley’s English 9 class read The Odyssey of Homer during quarter 1. They enjoyed the many adventures of Odysseus during his twenty year voyage back to Ithaca. Students in the class illustrated their favorite characters and scenes: Scylla, the six-headed monster, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, the island of Circe, and Odysseus, lashed to his ship’s mast during a violent storm. To conclude their study, the class watched the movie based on this book, a tale that has been well-received by students for over 3000 years!

Guidance Dept. - Ms. Weinhold, Coordinator

GUIDANCE NEWS

CONGRATULATIONS to our middle school students who qualified for the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth by scoring advanced in either Math or ELA on last years MCAS exams. You should be proud of your great accomplishments! Mrs. O’Leary and Mrs. Guay will be in contact in the near future to tell you more about the program.

Grade 7: Grade 8:

Larry Agnelli Caitlin Alekshun

Kiersten Bellar Daniel Denette

Owen Chase Jacob Des Jean

Shane Girard Veronica Gomez

Justin Harris Joshua Lewis

Christian Lewis

Matthew Niles

Jessa Pereira

Trisha Randall

Andrew Safford

Bronte Torres-Pagan

Any 8^th grade student who wishes to apply to Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School (Monty Tech) may pick up an application in the guidance office. Completed applications can be returned to the guidance office at any time but will not be processed until after the end of the second marking period (January 23^rd). All applications must be returned to Mrs. O’Leary in the guidance office as any sent to Monty Tech without a second quarter report card will be considered incomplete.

Are you a senior who plans to attend a four year college next year? If so we urge you to take a college entrance exam this winter. Juniors are also strongly encouraged to take an exam or two before the start of their senior year.

SAT or ACT?

Until recently, the ACT was traditionally required by colleges in the Midwest, and the SAT was the test of choice in the Northeast and West coasts. But now increasing numbers of students are taking the ACT and the majority of schools in the U.S. now accept results from both tests.

How does it affect me?

The increased acceptance of the ACT provides today’s students with a strategic advantage. The SAT and ACT are significantly different tests, and in many ways, they measure different skills. Depending on your particular strengths and weaknesses, you many perform much better on one test than the other. As a result, many students embarking on the admissions process are now considering both tests in order to determine which better showcases their abilities.

Which is right for you?

Try your luck with one of Kaplan’s free practice tests on www.kaptest.com. Take both the SAT and ACT and then decide on the one with which you are most comfortable.

Prepping for the SAT or ACT

www.collegeboard.org offers sample SAT tests, test-taking tips as well as software you can purchase to practice with.

www.princetonreview.com offers free ACT or SAT practice tests on Saturdays. These tests are full length given under simulated testing conditions and include a personalized score report.

Murdock offers a 6 week SAT preparation course in both Verbal and Math. Please call the guidance office for details.

2008-2009 SAT Schedule - $45.00 fee

Test Dates Registration Deadline

December 6 November 5

January 24 December 26

March 14 February 10

May 2 March 31

June 6 May 5

2008-2009 ACT Schedule - $31.00 fee

Test Date Registration Deadline

December 13 November 7

February 7 January 6

April 4 February 27

June 13 May 8

Some students who are looking at more selective colleges system may also need to take the SAT Subject Tests (formerly know as the SAT II’s). This will require an extra test date. These colleges generally prefer the Math—Level 1 or Level 2 (the more difficult of the two, if possible) and one other test of the student’s choice—usually in an area where a student feels strong. It appears that most schools will only require two subject tests, but some schools may require a third test. It is best to check the requirements of your specific colleges or universities. The following website www.compassprep.com lists the schools that require or recommend SAT Subject Tests. Many of our students choose U. S. History, a foreign language, literature, or a science, depending on the individual student’s strengths. Books containing sample tests are available in the public library or Barnes and Noble. Taking one of these practice tests will help show where a student is most likely to be successful. Students are advised to take the SAT Subject Tests near the end of the school year to take advantage of reviews for final exams in their classes—especially AP classes. Registration can be done on the Internet or registration packets may be picked up in the guidance office.

Seniors are reminded to be mindful of college application deadlines and to get their applications, transcripts and recommendation requests to Mrs. Weinhold at least 2 weeks before the due date. As school is not in session from December 23 to January 5, any applications due January 1^st must be given to the guidance office by Friday, December 12^th. If you have any questions or concerns over these deadlines, please see Mrs. Weinhold as soon as possible. Also, please provide 2 postage stamps for each application.

Seniors should make sure they forward their SAT 1: Reasoning Test and SAT II: Subject Test scores directly from the College Board in Princeton, NJ to the school(s) to which they are applying. Although some schools accept the results off of the high school transcript, many do not. If you have not requested the College Board to send your scores directly to ALL the colleges you are applying to you should send the scores as soon as possible. You can make this request online, by phone, or by mailing a score request form that you may pick up in the guidance office.

Scholarship Opportunities

There are several scholarship opportunities available for our high school seniors who plan to attend college after leaving MMHS. Applications and/or information are available in the guidance office.

Elks National Foundation- Most Valuable Student Scholarship

Available to high school seniors pursuing a college degree

Citizens of U.S.

The criteria includes scholarship, leadership & financial need

Application deadline is January 9,2009

Application available in the guidance office

Online application can be obtained at www.elks.org

Elks National Foundation- Legacy Award

Available to any child or grandchild of a living Elk who joined the order on or before April 1, 2006 and has been a member in good standing since then.

Applicant must be a high school senior

Citizens of U.S.

The criteria includes scholarship, leadership & financial need

Applicants must take the SAT or ACT by Dec. 31, 2008

Application deadline is January 9,2009

Application available in the guidance office

Online application can be obtained at www.elks.org

Massachusetts Elk Scholarship, Inc. – Major Project

Available to high school seniors pursuing a college degree

Citizens of Massachusetts

The criteria includes scholarship, leadership & financial need

Scholarship assistance shall be made only to students who have been endorsed by the jurisdictional lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, or the lodge of which the parent/guardian is a member.

Application deadline is February 1,2009

Application available in the guidance office

McKelvey Foundation

Available to seniors who own and operate a genuine business

Must have at least one employee, even if only part time

Complete online application by 1/25/09 @ www.mckelveyfoundation.org

Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Available to all seniors who are seeking higher education

Must take a scholarship exam consisting of 40 multiple choice questions and one essay question with a response of 250-500 words. Exam is 2/4/09

Students interested must submit application to the guidance department by December 19, 2008.

Applications and study guides available in the guidance office or may be downloaded at www.massaflcio.org/scholarship-program

Gates Millennium Scholars

Available to African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American seniors

Must have a GPA of 3.3

Online submission is due 1/12/09

Paper registration most be postmarked by 1/12/09

Applications available in guidance office or at www.gmsp.org

The Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund

Must show financial need, display academic excellence, a desire to make a meaningful contribution to society, good character and a strong work ethic.

Deadline for application is 5/1/09

Students can submit an application online @ www.philllips-scholarship.org

Horatio Alger Scholarship

Applicants must be high school seniors that demonstrate financial need.

Seeks to assist students who have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, strength of character, financial need, and a desire to contribute to society.

Students can submit an online application at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships

American Legion Auxiliary National President’s Scholarship

Applicants must be high school seniors

Candidates for this award must be direct descendants, step-children or step-children of U.S. Wartime veterans who served during one or more periods of war (WWI,WWII,Korea,Vietnam, Grenada and Lebanon,Panama, Persian Gulf to present)

Application available in the guidance office.

Deadline is March 1, 2009

American Legion Aux. Massachusetts Educational Award Jr. Members

Applicants must be high school seniors

Candidates for this award shall be Junior members of the American Legion Auxiliary, Dept. of Massachusetts. Said member to have held Junior Membership in the American Legion for the past 3 years, and must hold a membership card for the current year.

Application available in the guidance office.

Deadline is March 1, 2009

American Legion Aux. Spirit of Youth Scholarship for Junior Members

Applicants must be high school seniors

Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA

Application available in the guidance office.

Deadline is March 1, 2009

American Legion Auxiliary Student Education Award

Applicants must be high school seniors

Application available in the guidance office.

Deadline is March 1, 2009

Career Fridays

The guidance department and Mrs. Guay from the Academic Support Success Center have launched a career information series entitled, Career Fridays. Each month we will bring in guest speakers from different career fields. The presentation is open to the first 30 students (grades 7-12) who sign up in the guidance office. We’d like to thank Mr. DeSimone for allowing us to host the program and for being our first guest speaker! Thank you also to Mr. Gallant from Priscilla’s Chocolates for teaching us the ropes of the candy business and for bringing in samples!

If you know of anyone that would like to volunteer as a career speaker, please contact Mrs. Weinhold in the guidance office.

Financial Aid Night

MMHS will host a presentation on Financial Aid for College on Thursday, Nov. 13^th at 6:30 in the auditorium. All students and parents are invited and encouraged to attend. An experienced MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) representative will discuss the financial aid process. The seminar will teach parents how to apply for financial aid, compare financial aid award letters, and seek available financing options. Time will be allowed for questions and answers. Families will receive a seminar booklet which serves as a year-round resource. For further information, you can contact Rachael Weinhold at (978) 297-4285.

College Representative Visits

More than 20 representatives have visited MMHS this fall with appointments scheduled for Becker College, St. Joseph’s of Maine, and Fitchburg State College in November. Seniors are encouraged to attend these information sessions and should listen to announcements for visitation dates.

College Visits

Seniors and juniors are reminded to check the bulletin board outside the guidance office for college open house dates. Students will be granted an approved absence (2 for seniors, 3 for juniors) to visit a college or university for an appointment or an open house if they return the completed visitation request form, which is available in the guidance office.

MCAS Retest Dates Grade 11-12

MCAS retest dates for English will be November 5, 6 and 7. Students who have not scored 220 on the Grade 10 English portion of the MCAS will have the opportunity to retake this test. The dates for the Math MCAS retest will be November 12 and 13.

Class of 2010

Students in the class of 2010 will be required to pass a science MCAS with a score of 220 (current juniors). A retest in Biology will be offered on February 2 and 3 for students who have yet attained competency in the science portion of the MCAS requirement.

Programs for Grade 9 Students

Mrs. Borsky will meet with grade 9 students in the next few weeks and present a program about High School Success. The Powerpoint program focuses on the high school transition and meeting requirements, study skills and planning for the future. This program is conducted through grade 9 English classes. To follow up this class, a presentation on “Understanding GPA” will be presented at a later date.

Programs for Grade 10 students

Grade 10 students will have the opportunity to begin the career exploration process. They will take a Career Interest Inventory and a Career Aptitude Inventory during this school year. They will utilize a computerized career exploration program that will provide information on the details of specific careers, education required, earning potential and many other factors. Post high school planning and career exploration is an ongoing process and this year students will have the opportunity to utilize some of the tools that will be helpful to them in the process.

Richard J. Robinson Library – Mrs. Fitz, Library Media Specialist Link to National Endownment for the Humanities website

Picturing America Grant

The library media center has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that will provide us with various works of art chronicling America’s history.

Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country’s history and character through the study and understanding of its art.

Awarded schools are required to encourage use of the Picturing America posters by having them on exhibit within the classrooms and public locations throughout the school during the 2008-2009 school year.

These vibrant posters depict some of this country’s greatest moments in history and are just a few examples of our more famous works of art. Along with these posters we have received a teacher’s curriculum guide which clearly outlines how these posters can be integrated into math, science, English, history, art, music, and foreign language curriculum.

High School Science teacher Sherri Fairbanks, in collaboration with the library, has prepared a proposal for displaying Picturing America Posters throughout the building during our parent teacher conferences in November. In the lobby there will be information about the grant and the poster John Biglin in a Single Scull, c. 1873 will be on display along with the lesson plan which accompanies it.

Parents will be informed that as they travel throughout the building they will see some of the works displayed along with lesson plans explaining how they can be incorporated into the curriculum.

We have divided the posters up based on their connections to various departments. Copies of the lesson plans will be provided with each of the posters. We would like to have the posters and lesson plans displayed in each of the content area hallways during conferences. Collectively, the masterpieces in Picturing America, used in conjunction with the Teachers Resource Book and program Web site, help students experience the humanity of history and enhance the teaching and understanding of America’s past.

For information on the Internet, go to

http://www.picturingamerica.neh.gov

News from Mrs. Guay - Room 321

The Student Success Center in room 321 is a new program designed to assist students with homework and class assignments while offering a special focus on career and college goals. Murdock Middle High School and Mount Wachusett Community College are collaborating on this program which provides several student support services:

Peer Tutoring to students in eighth and ninth grades

Drop in tutoring for all students

Mount Wachusett Community College Dual Enrollment Class (Period 7)

Includes guest speakers presenting on a variety of college majors including bio-manufacturing, photography, graphic arts, early childhood education, nursing and automotive technology.

Access to Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search Federal Grant Resources:

College Awareness workshops and college preparation materials

PSAT/SAT and ACT preparation and outreach

Individual advice on college admissions, entrance essays and college selection.

Financial Aid Workshops and access to on-line financial aid resources.

Career Friday Presenters offers guest speakers from various careers sharing a first-hand account of the workplace.

Newly installed computer lab for research and school projects.

In-school computerized career and learning style assessments.

The center’s facilitator for the 2008-2009 academic year is Veronica Guay. Should you have any questions about this great, new program, please call the school and ask for room 321 or email vguay@mwcc.mass.edu.

The Winchendon Project

Supported by a generous grant from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, The Winchendon Project has been working with Winchendon Public Schools since January 2008 to enhance students' quality of life and support their academic achievement. To date, Health and Wellness Programs have been expanded at Murdock Middle High School (MMHS) to address the emotional, social and physical health of students.

Counseling services are now available to students and their families. These services are offered at MMHS in partnership with the Murdock Health Center. A Learning Supports Facilitator has also been added to the school's staff. Her role is to proactively develop programs and resources for students and their families to prevent and address risk behaviors and to support academic success.

To identify the specific health and wellness needs of the MMHS community and to plan for future phases of The Winchendon Project, students, parents and school staff have been surveyed. Survey outcomes will determine which additional programs and resources will be developed within the school and community.

For more information about The Winchendon Project, please contact Gail Casavant, the Learning Supports Facilitator, at gcasavant@winchendonk12.org or 978-297-0562.

Tower Yearbook - Mrs. Fairbanks, Advisor

Congratulations to Alexis Jenkins and Sarah McKellick for being elected this year’s editors of the “Tower Yearbook”. This year’s yearbook may be ordered at any time for a cost of $85.00. Payment plans are available. Please call Mrs. Fairbanks to set up a plan.

Class of 2009 - Mrs. Packard, Advisor

2008 Powder Puff Game

On November 10th the reigning Powder Puff champions, the ladies from the Class of 2009 defeated the ladies from the Class of 2010. Congratulations! This year, in observation of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, $1.00 from each Powder Puff ticket sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society and a special basket of pink ribbon items was also raffled off; $219 was collected! The girls wore pink ribbons in their hair to honor all those touched by this disease.

The Class of 2009 would like to thank all families and businesses who contributed to our gift card calendar fundraiser. The class raised nearly $2500.00 towards their Senior class trip in April. Winners have been drawn daily and have been notified by phone. Names of all winners have also been posted on the Class bulletin board.

On November 22^nd the Class of 2009 would like to encourage everyone to come out to NikRylee’s between the hours of 5:00 & 8:00 p.m. A portion of each meal purchased from a selected menu will go toward the class needs. Each meal will consist of a beverage, an entrée and a dessert.

Annie

Is your child a part of the Annie musical cast? We could use your help! Please attend the Friends of Music meeting on November 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the chorus room (rm 110). The meeting will be concerning the development of this year’s production. Mark your calendar! We hope to see your there!

PARENT NOTIFICATION

Please note that the following course curriculum at Murdock Middle/High School includes human sexuality curriculum: Child Development I/II, Marriage and Family, Sociology, Psychology, Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Health Education 7-8-9. If you would like to review the curriculum or exempt your student from any portion of said curriculum, please contact the principal at 978-297-1256.

SUBSTITUTES WANTED

Food Services - Mrs. Hubbard, Director

I am looking for substitutes for cafeteria workers. If you are a stay at home mom or dad who would like to earn a little extra money, please give me a call at 978-297-1256, ext. 138. The hours are between 10:30-1:30 or 11:00 -2:00.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Murdock Middle/High School 297-297-1256

MMHS Fax 978-297-0509

MMHS Guidance 978-297-4285

Guidance Fax 978-297-5423

Office of the Superintendent 978-297-0031

Special Education Office 978-297-1850

Memorial School 978-297-1305

Toy Town Elementary School 978-297-2005

Marvin School 978-297-3436