Sandwich High School
Core Values
August 15, 2015
Dear Parents of Sandwich High School.
It is with great excitement that we begin the 2015-2016 school year! While much of the focus in
the local press has shifted from the opening of the STEM Academy to the reorganization of the
K-6 grade levels, the focus at SHS/STEM shifted naturally from the logistics of relocation to
unification. Reflecting on the great success that describes STEM’s inaugural year and the
impressive opportunities created by SHS staff, coaches, teachers, and most importantly, the
students. The word that best describes the 2014-2015 school year is transformative. Just as we
knew they would, the students took the lead in opening their hearts to their new STEM
neighbors. The high school students were able to capture all that is magic about the energy and
positive outlook of middle school students, and see them as valued young learners who will
someday inherit the castle! Looking back, it is hard to imagine the hallways and classrooms as
they once were. The current sophomore class has adopted their STEM brethren and took great
pride in assisting at field day and preparing for the arrival of next year’s freshman class.
SHS is eagerly preparing for next year’s commitment to Project Based Learning and Project Lead
the Way as parents of current STEM students provide valued feedback and insight regarding
their expectations of a linking the high school experience to the wonderful work underway in
the STEM Academy.
As we prepare for the opening of the 2015-2016 school year, we do so with great excitement
about expanded unification among and between all grade levels 7-12. Our former department
chairs are now 7-12 curriculum coordinators and are working towards providing shared
experiences for all students and creating seamless transitions as students move from STEM to
SHS. Working closely with Maureen Wiklund, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, they will
be building on past success, paying close attention to the research on best practice, and
working together to foster a dynamic learning organization contributes to our collective
mindset of creating positive experiences for our wonderful students.
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As you know, everything we do and plan at SHS is done in support of our Core Values and
Beliefs. These essential principles guide our curriculum planning, program development,
student activities, academics, athletics, arts, hiring practices, and impact and guide every aspect
of life at SHS. They are the guideposts to caretaking Blue Knight Pride. To those parents and
families new to Sandwich High School, here is a look at our core values and beliefs:
We Believe:
Every student has value and deserves the opportunity to achieve his or her potential
Assessment informs instruction
Learning is personalized, collaborative, and reflective
Academic, athletic, and artistic excellence are promoted
Competence and confidence prepare students to contribute to the world
Twenty-first Century Learning Expectations:
Academic
Students will:
Speak, read and write effectively across the curriculum for a variety of purposes
Apply reasoning and problem-solving in all disciplines
Express ideas creatively across the curriculum
Use information, media, and technology effectively and responsibly
Develop physical and artistic skills
Social
Students will:
Assume responsibility for their own decisions and behavior
Demonstrate a willingness to resolve conflicts responsibly
Contribute to the welfare of others
Learn to collaborate effectively
Civic
Students will:
Foster respectful and productive relationships in and beyond the community
Exercise their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society
Here are a few items for your attention:
New School Hours
SHS / STEM Academy hours for students will be 7:30- 2:00 p.m. on regular school days
SHS/ STEM Academy hours for students on Late Start Days will be 10:21- 2:00 p.m.
SHS/STEM Academy hours for students on Early Release Days will be 7:30- 11:09 a.m.
Specific dates for Late Start, Early Release, and Parent Conferences are highlighted on the 20152016-district calendar.
There is no school for students on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 for district wide professional
development
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One to One Technology
SHS/ STEM Academy continues it commitment to widespread use of one to one technology.
Our school wide goal is to increase student engagement in the learning process through a
meaningful use of one to one technology. Please note that progress towards that goal can only
be achieved when students bring a fully charged device to class each day. While the school will
continue to issue chrome books to all entering freshmen, we support what many districts have
done and that is to encourage student to BYOD (Bring your own Device). So, if your son or
daughter would prefer to use a lap top, ipad or chrome book which you have purchased on
your own, that is fine. Our tech team is very current in its thinking and practices and its
members are increasingly aware of the benefits of students using personal technology if they
prefer it to school issued technology.
Turnitin.com
This year marks the roll out of Turnitin.com. Students in grades 7-12 will be handing in writing
assignments through a search engine called Turnitin.com. This process is widely used
throughout the country. Turnitin.com recognizes that it is no longer realistic for us to expect
that students will hand in paper copies of work in their post secondary lives including college
and workplace. Turnitin.com is an excellent teaching tool with many applications including
checking for authenticity, student voice, grammar and syntax, etc. Curriculum coordinators will
be training their respective departments and providing opportunities for teachers to decide
which writing assignments will be filtered through Turnitin.com. Stay tuned for regular updates
on this important step in our commitment to 21st century practices.
Calculators
Kate Carl, our 7-12 math coordinator, has asked that the following guidelines regarding
calculators be shared with parents.
The Sandwich High School mathematics classes rely heavily on the use of graphing calculators.
As your teachers have instructed, each student is expected to bring a T1-83 or T1-84 to math
class each day. Additionally, graphing calculators are the only electronic device with graphing
function that is allowed on MCAS and SAT and other projected standardized testing. There are
school owned classroom sets available for families who need and deserve that support. For
maximum personalization with the calculators, students greatly prefer owning their own.
Families are encouraged to monitor prices on line and look for back to school sales.
Congratulations to Kathy Lucas, our new Director of Guidance grades 7-12
Virtually any family of students currently attending Sandwich High School has experienced the
pleasure and privilege of working with Kathy Lucas. Kathy served as Freshman Guidance
counselor for six years is largely responsible for the outstanding reputation of our Freshman
Experience, a program that has received local and regional recognition including multiple
commendations in our recent 2013 NEASC accreditation report. Kathy is known for her
exceptional interpersonal skills, warmth, attention to detail and outstanding skill set. She
emerged from a strong pool of candidates to be chosen as our new Director of Guidance. Kathy
brings an unparalleled level of professionalism to all her interactions with staff, parents,
colleagues and most importantly the students of SHS/STEM Academy.
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Coming Soon!
As the reputation of the amazing work of Kevin and Melinda Lasit spreads, and the families of
Sandwich continue to enjoy their work through Sandwich Soul and Knights Theater Company,
you may want to jot down the fall and spring show dates on your calendars.
The fall production is The Crucible. Show dates are November 6&7, 2015 and November 13 &
14, 2015. In addition, we will be inviting other high schools on the Cape to send their students
to matinees followed by guided learning discussions on during the school days of November 10
and November 12, 2015. The show promises to be an amazing rendition of this classic play by
Arthur Miller. The learning opportunities defined and presented by the Lasits will expand its
impact to other communities. The spring musical is Into the Woods and dates are April 1 @2
and April 8 & 9, 2016. As always, the spring musical is destined to exceed even the highest
expectations!
Blue Knight Athletics
Neil Murphy and his coaching staff and trainer are ready for the opening of the 2015-2016
seasons! They have worked hard all summer to put schedules in place, to organize required
paperwork and to provide expanded opportunities. A highlight of the year will be the fall
opener of our football team when the Blue Knights host the Hingham Harbormen in the
spectacular new Gerald F. Deconto Veterans Memorial Stadium. As you know, the stadium is
dedicated to Captain Gerald DeConto, an all star SHS soccer player, who lost his life on
September 11, 2001 while serving his country at the Pentagon. The significance and the honor
of playing our opening game on September 11, 2015 cannot be put into words. We look ahead
to three great seasons for all our athletes. Of particular merit is the reputation Sandwich has
earned for its sustained achievement of the MIAA Sportsmanship Awards. Neil and his staff are
to be commended. We so appreciate the strong and consistent support of our wonderful
Athletic Boosters without whom we could not provide the array of opportunities that make up
BKP athletics!
New staff
We have been honored to attract an excellent talent pool for our 2015-2016 new hires. We are
excited to welcome the following:
Amy Abbott
Special Education
Stephanie Coronesi
ELA
Matthew Costello
PE, Health, and Wellness grades 7-12
Jillian DeCuffa
Athletic Trainer grades 7-12
Lynn Donaghue
Freshman Guidance Counselor
S. Bryce Harper
Director of Technology preK-12
Katherine Rifle
Student Support
Robin Sherman
Special Needs Coordinator grades 7-12
Lara Solinsky
Post Secondary Counselor grades 10-12
Jason Weinstein
Technology
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Upcoming Dates
August 20
August 31
September 2
September 3
September 11
September 11
September 12
September 17
September 28-October 3
October 3
October 7
October 14
October 14
Fall Sports Night 7:00 p.m. @ SHS
Freshman Orientation 9:00- 3:00 @ Camp Burgess
Grade 7 STEM Orientation 7:00 p.m. @ SHS
Grade 9 Freshman Orientation 7:00 p.m. @ SHS
Senior Retreat/Picnic 9:00- 2:00 @ Camp Burgess
SHS Blue Knights Football opens the season at 7:00 p.m. in
the DeConto Veterans Memorial Stadium
Welcome Back Dance grades 9-12 @SHS
from 8:00- 11:00 p.m.
SHS/ STEM Academy Back to School Night grades 7-12 @
7:00 p.m. @ SHS
Homecoming Week!
Homecoming Dance
Credit for Life: Program for Class of 2016
PSATs given for current sophomores and juniors@ SHS
First meeting of the School Council grades 7-12
School Council
As you know, per Massachusetts General Law, each school has School Council comprised of
staff, students, parents, and administrators. This year, we will form a combined 7-12 site based
School Council. One of the key responsibilities tasked to this group is the creation and
implementation of an annual School Improvement Plan. Please consider submitting a letter of
intent for School Council. According to the Department of Education guidelines, parents should
submit names and an election will be conducted through paper ballot at the September 17 Back
to School Night. School Council will meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 2:30- 4:30
p.m. The first meeting is planned for Wednesday August 14, 2015. If you wish to serve on the
2015-2016 site based School Council, please send an email expressing your interest to
ebooras@sandwich.k12.ma.us. Thanks! We look forward to a great year of working in
partnership with our parents!
Power School- update with information on the portal and student id numbers
Please know that all students and parents received access codes to Power School grades 7-12
included in their summer mailings. Student schedules are available on line to parents and
students. We will not issue paper copies to students grades 8-12. We will provide a single copy
for grade 7 students at their STEM Orientation along with training on their new chrome books.
Lee Savery, our network administrator, will be providing trainings for parents as well.
Standards of Dress
Your acknowledgement of the handbook confirms your understanding of our Standards of
Dress. We believe that students must dress in a manner which recognizes the importance of
viewing school with the same respect that adults view their workplace regarding appropriate
attire. We appreciate and need your full cooperation. Here are the guidelines that appear in the
student handbook. Please note that these guidelines were composed by a group of SHS
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students dedicated to preserving an atmosphere conducive to learning and free from
distraction that comes with disrespectful and/unsafe manner of dress.
No hats, visors or bandanas are to be worn in school
All headwear should be stored in the student’s locker from the beginning of the school
day @ 7:30 a.m. to the end of the school day @ 2:00 p.m.
No bare midriffs, spaghetti straps or low cut tops
Shorts and shirts of at least fingertip length
No backless shirts or beach attire/ bare feet
No undergarments may be shown
No inappropriate holes in pants, skirts, shirts, or jerseys
No promotion of drugs, tobacco, and/or alcohol on any clothing
No offensive patches or offensive promotions on any clothing or personal item
No outerwear is to be worn in the halls or classrooms
Food and Drink in the classroom
The Sandwich Public School district has adopted a policy on food and drink in the classroom. At
Sandwich High School, we allow students to carry water bottles to classes other than science
labs, computer labs, and the library. There is no beverage allowed in these areas per MA safety
regulations on school and workplace safety. Schools, do however, allow food in the classroom if
the food is an essential component of a learning activity and has a direct link to the curriculum.
Teachers planning such events/lessons must get permission from the principal and the school
nurse in advance. An essential component of the approval process is the submission of a class
list to the school nurse along with a complete listing of the food items to be served. The nurse
then cross references the class list with the list of students who have food allergies, and makes
a decision based on accurate data.
Staying up to date
The best way to stay up to date on the many events that define SHS/STEM Academy is to follow
SHS on twitter, follow the athletic department on twitter, and to access the school and district
website. A great source of information is the district’s excellent on line magazine, Sandwich
Learns Together. Sincere thanks to all the parents of the wonderful students of SHS! Please
reach out to me at anytime regarding any questions or concerns. It is a pleasure and a privilege
to serve you and your children.
Best wishes for a year of great Blue Knight Pride,
Ellin Booras, Ed. D.
Principal, SHS/ STEM Academy
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