Orientation Dates Set for August
Our new student orientations will be held in August, with grade 9 arriving on Wednesday, August 22 and grade 8 on Thursday, August 23. We typically have the day start around 8-8:30 a.m., with the students on hand until 1:30 p.m. Orientation for students includes locker assignment, looking at schedules, some team activities, and iPad distribution. We also provide lunch for the students. Parents and students meet together at the start of the day; after students are dismissed to our orientation leaders, we will hold a brief Q&A with parents, which should conclude by 9:30 at the latest.
We will have some details about iPad registration/insurance coming by mid-July. We strongly recommend purchasing insurance, and there is information on the school website on insurance guidelines. Registration for iPad insurance occurs online through the same platform used for athletic registration.
NEASC Self-Study Complete
It is with great pride that we are able to announce that our self-study reports have been completed in advance of our reaccreditation visit this coming December. Our staff, with some parent support and feedback and student input, has finished writing the reports, which will form the basis of the work that the visiting team will conduct this December. We anticipate needing some support from families throughout the visit, including a couple of parent forums, but the time needed is limited to a couple of hours, tops.
We are confident in the work that we are doing and our adherence to the standards. More importantly, our continued shared commitment to our core values and learning expectations will, hopefully, be validated through the report of the visiting team!
Ms. Fafard Retires
On a somewhat personal note, on Friday, we were able to share in Whitin's final assembly of the year, which served as a retirement tribute to Ms. Fafard. As I reflected on what to say about her in the video that our school produced to honor her commitment to the students of Uxbridge, I kept being drawn to a Talmudic teaching, which is a book of ancient Jewish reflections and teaching. In it, there is a statement that "there is no higher wisdom than kindness." Over the course of her 12 years in Uxbridge, which started when our seniors were but tiny elementary schoolers, Ms. Fafard was guided by the unquestioned commitment to students first, to being kind, and to valuing every person that came in contact with her. For our school leadership team, she has been a trusted confidant, colleague, and friend, and our schools are all better for her wit and wisdom. We know that the entire UHS community joins her colleagues and students at Whitin and beyond in wishing her a very happy, well deserved, and healthy retirement!
The video we produced is below:
Finally, report cards will be distributed next week; final grades should be online by Monday afternoon.
We wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable summer!
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