Class Elections
Congratulations and thank you to all students who participated in class elections this week. We look forward to partnering with the officers next year as we continue to look for ways to improve things at UHS!
Class of 2019:
President, Bridget Redgate
Vice President, Madeleine Schleinitz
Secretary: Lexi Nowicki
Treasurer: Kathleen Redgate
Historian: Carrie Kraich
Class of 2020:
President, Jason Dullaghan
Vice President, Kevin Siefken
Secretary, Rachel McGee
Treasurer, Sonila Murati
Class of 2021:
President, Nick Fernandes
Vice President, Anna Horne
Secretary, Anastasia Achiaa
Treasurer, Martha Ann Rolandelli
Historian, Jonathan Fabian
Educator of the Year
We proudly awarded our Educator of the Year award to Ms. Leslie Lesperance, our Learning Lab Teacher. Ms. Lesperance will be retiring this year after more than 30 years in the Uxbridge Public Schools, and her years of service have been marked by an unwavering commitment to some of the most compromised and needy students in the school. Her professionalism, compassion, and empathy have made an impact for hundreds of students and co-workers, and we will miss Ms. Lesperance's calming presence, professional demeanor, and incredible skill!
Senior Week and Class Trips
Over the past couple of months, we have been looking at ways we can improve some of the senior class events. That has led to some presumptions and assumptions that we are "canceling" the senior trip. In truth, this year's senior trip went well, despite the distance traveled and time spent in a bus, and many of the experiences of the classes have been largely positive. To indicate that we would be looking at changing things on the basis of a couple of student errors in judgment from the past is simply inaccurate.
That said, there is significant cost incurred on these trips, which places a burden on the class and students' families, and we likewise are limiting, per School Committee policy and the feedback we have consistently gotten from families across the district, the number of fundraisers that organizations can hold, as well as the nature of those events (school groups are prohibited from working with companies that can profit from students). We also have some reluctance on the part of faculty members and administration to chaperone these trips because of the significant personal liability and responsibility.
To help guide our decision-making, we are enlisting feedback on end-of-year events, which has been requested from the grade 9, 10, and 11 advisors. We also are hoping to find ways we can make Baccalaureate a more inclusive event in the hope of having more students participate, given that the past 4-5 years have seen no more than 60% of the class attend. While other districts have removed events like Baccalaureate from the slate of school-sponsored events, we want to work with the community, classes, and clergy to continue an event that is meaningful but also inclusive.
To provide us with some feedback, please click here and answer the brief 10-question survey.
School Council, 2018-19
We will be looking for parent and student members of School Council for 2018-19, specifically looking for members from the Classes of 2022 and 2023 (incoming grade 8 and 9). If you have questions, please be in touch with Mr. Rubin. If we have multiple parents interested, we may need to hold an election.
A Final Thought
We will have an opportunity to reflect a bit more on the past three years, which has been marked by incredible change and an influx of real positive energy to UHS. Before that, though, we are nearing the end of one partnership for our administrative team. As Mr. Carney nears the end of his tenure in Uxbridge, we have many successes on which to build and which we share, from the revamping of a guidance curriculum, to the integration of significant common planning times for teachers, to the development of more elective courses, to the sustained efforts and supports for arts, special education programs, and advanced classes.
Two years ago, Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters inspired my personal remarks at the UHS graduation, which I remarked as "a new day rising." Ironically, Mr. Carney and I both share a love for the Foo Fighters, and that song has been in my consciousness every day I've worked at UHS - for every day is a "new day rising," and we should always be reminded that in "times like these, we learn to live again."
In that spirit, and with a respectful note of gratitude to Mr. Carney for his support, some of which was easily seen, while other was more behind-the-scenes, while, at the same time, looking forward to partnering with Dr. Tiano, I'm sharing my favorite rendition of the song. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend,
Mike Rubin, Principal
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