Weekly News

Good morning,

We have a few announcements from UHS this week, beginning with this letter, which was the first page of our newsletter sent earlier this week:

It has been a few weeks since we last distributed a newsletter, so we appreciate those of you who have continued to follow the many great happenings at UHS through the various forms of communications we put out. We have teachers who are sharing the happenings in class on Twitter, via Google Classroom, and through messages home, and our many student activities forward information through social media as well. We have started a monthly podcast, have videos being sent home, and are now hosting a television show with the superintendent. There are many, many ways to stay informed about UHS, and we trust that our efforts are worthwhile.
The biggest "event" forthcoming is the visit of our NEASC accreditation team, which will occur from December 2-5. While we have been sharing details about the visit, our core values, learning expectations, Endicott Survey for the past couple of years, the visit itself culminates the self-study process, where we hope to validate the great work that has been done at the high school and in the community, while getting a sense of reflection for areas to grow. We have identified critical strengths and needs that we have to both leverage and tackle over the next two and five years, and we are hopeful that the visiting team will leave UHS both inspired and having provided us with opportunities to grow.
Through it all, we have been fortunate to have the engagement and honesty of our faculty, the creativity of our students, and the support of families, either as participants on panels during the visit, or simply by having a presence on School Council or through answering surveys. We have students who will be shadowed, teachers interviews, and multiple panels including administrators from all buildings and central office. The process, while comprehensive, will give the 12-person team a true sense of who we are as Spartans.
Of course, this comes with the knowledge that Uxbridge's relationship to NEASC has not always been smooth. There have been words like "probation" and "warning" and even "loss of accreditation" thrown around this town with an appropriate level of seriousness as recently as 2010. We feel confident in our efforts to connect all of our school improvement efforts to the NEASC standards, and, while we are not perfect, have confidence in the process and our own work as we set out on this journey next week and beyond. We anticipate the report being complete later this spring, and we will have some areas to address with respect to NEASC over the next 2-5 years, which we intend to tie to our School Improvement Plans.
As we enter the holiday season, we are reminded of the spirit of the community, our students, and our staff through many acts of kindness, respect, and empathy. To that end, we know that the holiday season can be challenging for some students and families, so if any assistance is needed, please reach out to your students' counselors. We wish you the best!


Wall of Acceptances

Our senior college acceptances are starting to be posted outside the guidance office. Parents of seniors, as acceptances start to roll in, please remind students to update counselors so we can expand the wall!

Week That Was

Our Week That Was video is linked below.

To all who are helping with the Holiday Party event, thank you for all you are doing to coordinate the event. We look forward to capturing some of the great moments that happen and appreciate the energy on behalf of the community!

Have a great weekend!

SAT Prep Class

Attention Students & Parents….



Uxbridge High School’s first SAT Prep Class starting in January!



Visit UxbridgeSATPrep.com to register

Use Coupon-code UXBRDIGESAT to get $50 off if you register by December 21st



Classes will meet Mondays & Wednesdays from 5:30-8:30pm

January 28th- February 27th (no class over February Vacation)



This class will be perfect for students taking the SAT in March or May!



Each Comprehensive SAT program will include:

8 Total 3-hour class sessions differentiated to meet students’ needs


4 Targeted Math lessons – Interactive and Engaging – We will help you “dial in” your math strategies for test day!


4 Targeted Reading & Writing Lessons – Our techniques will help you “train your brain” to focus immediately on the most important information!


The $399 cost (after discount) is half the price of most comparable test prep programs!


The “Simple Promise” – retake the class, for free, as many times as necessary to get the score you want!




“This class is definitely worth a student's time. It's a lot of work in the little number of days we have but in the end, it's worth it because of how much you learn and how much help you receive.” – Alexia, Sutton High School



Any questions?...Email studentservices@cottersimplified.com,  call 802-424-2378 or visit UxbridgeSATPrep.com

November-December Newsletter

Our November-December Newsletter is below!

Spartan Podcast

Our second podcast of the year is now available. The podcast is broadcast on Anchor.fm, but also is linked to a variety of streaming services, including iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

The podcast is also shared below!

Week That Was

Here's a look back at the Week That Was at UHS, ending today, November 27:

Winter Cheerleading

Good morning!

We are hoping to run a winter cheerleading program this year, pending student interest. There will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, November 28 in the cafeteria, scheduled for 2:30 p.m., with our new coach, Cassandra Knauer, who is one of the teachers at Whitin and someone who comes to us with a great deal of cheer experience.

Tryouts begin December 3 at 3:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

Interested students and families can reach out to the coach directly via cknauer@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.

Thank you!

Weekly News and Notes

NEASC visit

Thank you to the parents and students who will be participating in our NEASC visit, scheduled for December 2-5. We are excited to highlight our school's many successes and use the report as an opportunity for reflection and growth. We look forward to sharing the findings of the team when the full report is released later this year. Feel free to reach out if you have questions about our self-study.

Adams Scholarship

Congratulations to our senior Class of 2019 members who earned the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, which entitles them to tuition waivers at any of the Massachusetts state colleges or universities. A full list of the student names will appear in our next full newsletter; a picture of the group, honored with a breakfast on Monday, is below!

Guidance Newsletter

Our November Guidance Newsletter be viewed here or by copying the following link: http://pub.lucidpress.com/ee50ddfc-8133-4584-aecc-e43b5269c595/#_0

Update from Boosters

Basketball Season is just around the corner. The Booster Club will be running the Concession Stand at Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Games throughout the season. Please help by volunteering some time to work the concession stand at a game or two. Volunteering is easy. Click one of the links below and signup for the date and time you are able to help. Thank you! 

Girls' Basketball Concession Stand Signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4EAAAC28A6FE3-girls

Boys' Basketball Concession Stand Signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4EAAAC28A6FE3-boys

Thanksgiving Thoughts

If you so desire, click here to read my Thanksgiving musings. 

We wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving holiday! Stay warm, and we will see you next week!

Michael Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School

With Gratitude

I set out to write something inspiring for the Thanksgiving holiday, which, as I penned a year ago, I have long considered "the best day of the year." It has, for me, the camaraderie, the food, the family, and even a little bit of football, which for me, growing up, meant sitting in the usually frigid stands of MacDonald or Hormel Stadium watching the Golden Tornadoes play the Mustangs (bonus points if you know the rivalry).

This year, though, I was less nostalgic and more in the moment, and reflecting more on the things for which I am thankful professionally and personally on a somewhat more selfish level than necessarily waxing poetic about some cold morning back home. I fully understand the irony of the adjective "selfish" in the context of a day that by its very name sets to reflect gratitude, but, the reality is that I am quite selfishly thankful for the good fortune that has been shared with me, even amidst some great challenges.

I thought about the many faculty members, community members, citizens, and students took time to personally share with me their sadness of the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh last month, and how I was grateful for their consideration and compassion, even when they did not truly comprehend the magnitude of such an event to one of the few Jewish members of their community.

I thought about a faculty that welcomed 18 (!) new faces to its midst this year and adjusted rather seamlessly to the addition of another 130 students to our school, and who, to a person, has adapted to many challenges and initiatives that have come their way. I thought about the 18 "new" people who have been flexible and willing to adjust to a new boss, new colleagues, new culture, and have also done so, well, seamlessly. 

I thought about how different my career would be different without the support of some of the best professionals I know - and how very fortunate our students are to have these people as their educators, supports, and advocates - even when times get difficult. 

I thought about our students and parents, who have shared with me many perspectives, some which I share, some which I do not, and how we have used those as an opportunity for dialogue, even when we do not agree. I thought about consensus and progress, and how we respect each other even in disagreement, something that is all too often lost in the social media world of anonymous comments and accountability-free castigations.

I thought about our leadership team, which strengthens me and each other, determined to build bridges and share goals more explicitly and directly than we have in the past, and I thought about those who brought us together and are now charged with keeping us in sync, and how we are fortunate to have the ability to reflect and critique each other, with our staffs and students in mind, even when people do not see these everyday conversations, texts, emails, etc.

I thought about the opportunity that UHS has had to lead on a statewide level, to bring our region closer to re-imagining education of the future, and to share our successes with many schools and colleagues, instead of merely "going about our business." I thought about the industry partners who have trusted us with training the workforce of tomorrow and who have shared their expertise and energy with us, and those who have provided us resources for our students that I never could have imagined when I sat down for turkey and stuffing a year ago.

I thought about wins and losses, inspiring artists and singers, clubs and activities that operate without stipended advisors who care about the good of students, about quizzes and tests and projects and iPads and everything in between, because our students really do have so many opportunities provided them by the school and community, even when resources are potentially challenging.

I thought about how some places put their core values on a wall, or in a Handbook, or on banners - and do not see those ideas come to life in classrooms every day, because of a universal commitment to a collective purpose. I thought about my good fortune to know that the school we have is one to which others aspire., because when we come to work, we come to work, and we come to inspire. And I thought about our pending accreditation visit and acknowledge with a strong degree of confidence that this will be far different than previous experiences for this community, for no reason other than that commitment and shared purpose.

And, yes, my thoughts even turned to my own family, who compromise so much for me and let me work the way I think the job ought to be done, even when that means time away from them.

Yes, this time of year is an opportunity for reflection. It's a time for thought. It's a time for consideration. And most importantly, it is a time for thanks. 

For all those things about which I have thought, and more, I say thank you, Uxbridge. Happy Thanksgiving. 

NEASC: Student Interactions with Visiting Team

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As you may or may not be aware, we are hosting our accreditation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which will take place from December 2-5, 2018. During the visit, a visiting team of educators will be meeting with faculty, administration, central office, parents, and students, observing classes, and conferencing with different teams in order to get a full picture of life at UHS.

Some students will also be shadowed as part of the visit. With student shadowing, each member of the visiting team will be assigned a student, all of whom have different classroom experiences in the building, which will enable the team members to observe a number of classes, levels, and experiences at UHS. The responsibility of those students is merely to chat informally with the team members, escort them to class, and, generally, to be the kind and respectful Uxbridge High School Spartans that we know them to be. No personal information about specific students is disclosed by the school in any way, other than our students’ names, grade in school, and course schedules. Team members are likewise bound by confidentiality agreements in terms of what they discuss as part of the visit.

Over the course of the week, our entire school community will be an open book, in which students will be asked questions about what they learn in class, our core values and learning expectations, ways that teachers assess student learning, and the resources we have in place to support students. The team members come from a variety of schools across New England, and we are excited to share our students’ experiences, our culture and community, our successes, and areas for growth with this team.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to school administration or any of your student’s teachers.

Sincerely,


Michael Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School

Lockdown Drill

Good afternoon,

As many of you are aware, we are consistently taking steps to ensure that our school is prepared for a variety of emergencies. This includes regular fire drills, review of evacuation procedures, and discussions and drills in the event of an intruder. Sadly, these are the times we live in, and, while we are confident and comfortable in the safety and security at UHS, it is important for us to review protocols regularly with staff and students.

This afternoon, in collaboration with our public safety partners and led by School Resource Officer Dan Deveau, we conducted a lockdown and intruder drill with students that included an evacuation or other step taken, based on where the threat to the building was hypothetically occurring. In providing a variety of scenarios, teachers will review proper responses while addressing circumstances unique to the classroom.

Because of the sensitive nature of these conversations, we do anticipate some students potentially struggling, and we have our counselors and staff members being vigilant in noticing when students may be responding with heightened anxiety. Those students will be directed to counselors for support.

This afternoon's drill started at 12:48 and conclude by 12:55. At home, while difficult dinnertime conversation, it may be worthwhile to discuss with students their perceptions and understanding of what took place, recognizing that there is no set playbook for these potential scenarios.

We thank you as always for the support. Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions.

Sincerely,

Michael Rubin

Principal

Fire Emergency in Town This Morning

Good morning,

We received word of a structure fire that was on Aldrich Street not far from the school earlier today. There will be some Transportation issues for buses that come down from that area this morning, which the bus company is attempting to work out. Also, as you arrive to campus today, it is possible that you will see some fire apparatus from neighboring towns, as they are using the high school lot as a staging area. Do not be alarmed, and they should be on their way shortly.

Please drive safely today and see you all soon!

Mr. Rubin

Weekly News and Notes

Some updates from UHS this week:

From the Boosters:

The Booster Club sends out a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped man the gate and concession stands during the football season. It takes about 20-25 volunteers a game. We cannot THANK YOU enough for all your help!  We have the most dedicated volunteers. We couldn't do it without you.

Keep an eye out for opportunities for volunteers for Basketball Season.

...And To the Boosters:

Thank you to our amazing Booster club officers, volunteers, and committed parents, some of whom are there every step of the way and meeting, and others who volunteer their time and energy in different ways, all of whom contribute so much to the fabric of our Spartan community! Because of your effort, in part, we had the ability to sponsor two fan buses to the state championship, the cost of which, given transportation rates and the mileage to Chicopee, was significant. We appreciate it!

Reaccreditation Visit

Our reaccreditation visit will be taking place from December 2-December 5. During that time, we will have a committed group of 12 educators and colleagues coming from around New England to evaluate our school and its adherence to the standards of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Our self-study, which we completed last year, was submitted to NEASC a few weeks ago, and we have more than 60 sets of student work, dozens of pieces of evidence, and hundreds of hours of work invested in demonstrating our commitment to these high standards and reflecting on continuous improvement. In particular, we want to thank our Steering Committee co-chairs, Nicole Yakstis and Molly Hendrickx, who have worked tirelessly to organize evidence, work with teachers, and ensure consistency.
In the past couple of years, we have had several teachers and administrators participate in evaluation visits around New England, which has helped us prepare for our own visit. Emily Charpentier, Natalie Daverio, Angela Woislaw, Michael DiMeglio, Nicole Yakstis, Molly Hendrickx, Mary Guilmette, and I have all participated in the process as visiting team members.
We will receive the findings of the visit in the spring, which will publicly released after the final draft is approved and voted on by the Commission on Public Secondary Schools.
We look forward to the team's findings, including the validation of much of our efforts and commitment to improving in the future.

Parent Conferences

Thank you to so many of the parents who took time to conference with teachers on Thursday night. We hope to reach out to parents and families who were unable to make the evening meeting in order to facilitate some productive conversations. We hope to be accessible on a consistent basis, so please reach out to us if you have any questions or needs. With first quarter grades released, this is typically a good time for students to refocus their energy and make adjustments - or to continue their success!

Week that Was

Here's a look at the Week that Was - a busy week that featured Cake Wars, Honor Bowl, many academic successes, and our girls soccer team's amazing run to the State Semifinals!

Have a great weekend!

Michael Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School

Week(end) That Was

After such an incredible weekend, we wanted to share before next Friday with our latest Week(end) that Was video update:

GIRLS SOCCER: CENTRAL MASS CHAMPIONS!

With a 3-1 win over Douglas on Sunday, the girls soccer team captured a Central Massachusetts district title behind a pair of Elena Franzosa goals, a strike by Lindsey Moss, some great goalkeeping from Sidney Bretana, and excellent team defense. Congrats to the team and coaching staff, who advance to the state semifinals to take on Granby High School!

Faculty Feud Postponed

FACULTY FEUD POSTPONED TO DECEMBER 12

The UHS Girls Varsity Soccer Team is the Central MA Division 4 Championship team!  They are playing in a State Semi-Final game vs. Western, MA Champions, Granby, in  Chicopee on Wednesday.   Understanding that many of the students and teachers on the Faculty Feud teams as well as our potential audience would like to go to Chicopee to support our girls, we are postponing Faculty Feud until December 12th.  Please spread the word!      

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to play on a team - please check your calendars and let Ms. Penza know if December 12th will work for you.

Weekly News and Notes

Some updates from UHS this week:

Faculty Feud:

Mark your calendars now for Faculty Feud on November 14 at 7:00 p.m.  Teams from each class - 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 as well as the National Honor Society, Student Council, and Tri-M Society will be facing off against teams from the Uxbridge Faculty to see who will reign supreme!   
The cost of the event is $3.00 and all profits benefit the UHS Music Department.  It should be a fun event for both students and adults!

Girls Field Hockey!

Girls field hockey knocked off Nipmuc on Thursday night, defeating the Warriors 1-0 with a dramatic, last-minute goal! The girls face Oakmont in the divisional final on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Grafton High School.

Girls Soccer!

Not to be outdone, the girls soccer team defeated Oxford on Thursday night, with a 5-1 win over the Pirates. The girls face Douglas on Sunday at 1:00, and the game will be played at Shrewsbury High School.

Cross Country!

The girls and boys cross country teams will take the course on Saturday in Westfield for the Central Massachusetts championship meet. The teams will look to qualify both individually and as a team in the central championship meet, which was moved to Westfield. Good luck to all our Spartan runners!

Football

To accommodate all our athletic schedules, the football team's game against Oxford for this Saturday will kick off at 10:00 a.m.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

The link for parent-teacher conferences was sent earlier this week. The site for access can be viewed at uxyhs.schoolappointments.com. If there is not a time that can be mutually scheduled, there is a call-back option.

The Week That Was

Our Week That Was video was posted earlier today and is linked below!








Have a great weekend! Go Spartans!

The Week That Was, Week Ending 11/9

Here's a look back at the Week That Was at UHS for the week ending November 9:

Uxbridge Ski and Snowboard Club

Good morning,

We have decided to offer 1 in person sign-up night for Uxbridge Ski & Snowboard Club at The Uxbridge Library from 6:00 - 8:00 PM next Thursday, November 15th.  We will have computers set up for your use to register for ski club in full.  This is a great opportunity to sign up if you are unfamiliar with the process or have more questions about the club.  We will be on the main floor in the room to the left of the main doors.

Please have your credit card & if necessary a check for the bus portion.  PayPal is the option for the bus however if you don't have PayPal and don't want to sign up for it than a check made out to USSC for $125 per child can be accepted that night.

We also have included the link to purchase apparel for USSC thru Think Local below.  These items will make great gift ideas for grandparents or aunts & uncles so share the link with family.  For your convenience we have also added the apparel link to our website, it can be found under the Information tab or Ski Club Chronicles Tab of our website.

Please note we have to close the store by November 20th for Think Local to guarantee Christmas delivery.  All orders are in store pick-up only and you will be notified by email from Think Local once your order is ready.

  Think Local has a minimum requirement of 12 pieces per logo & we are offering 2 styles of the logo, (black & white) so limiting the store thru the 20th will also help us meet the requirements.  This is the first time we have offered apparel so please consider gearing up, it will look great at the mountain as well as promoting the program!  We selected items that will be useful ski attire as well as the best sellers at the store.

Think Snow and we will see some of you next Thursday!

Shelley
https://usscgear.itemorder.com/sale

https://uxbridgeskiclub.com/

FYI:  The Boston Ski Show is in town this weekend!
$3 off Ski & Snowboard Expo | Nov. 8 - 11. Code: WINTER‎

Weekly News and Notes

Some updates from UHS this week:

1. Congratulations to our field hockey team for advancing in the Division II central Massachusetts tournament, defeating Narragansett 2-0 on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans take on Hopedale on Sunday at 2:00.

2. Girls soccer hosts Trivium at Friday at 2:30 in the first round of the MIAA Division III Tournament. If the Spartans advance, they will likely play on Monday.

3. FamilyID's portal will open in the next couple of days for winter registration. Registration for winter sports will be due on Friday, November 16, so please make sure you register in time, otherwise a late fee will be assessed! These registrations will also help us make decisions regarding programs and schedules, so it is imperative that we have accurate numbers as soon as possible!

4. With the holiday season upon us and National Kindness day coming up on November 13th, the Uxbridge Food Service will be accepting products to be donated to The People First Food Pantry in Uxbridge for the month of November. A collection bin will be located just outside the main office.  Personal care items and paper goods are in extreme need during the holiday season. We hope you support our efforts and any donation is greatly appreciated.

5. Our Week That Was Video is posted here (https://youtu.be/QbXZiJDYEkk).



6. Parent conference portal, located at uxyhs.schoolappointments.com, will open on Monday. Instructions were emailed earlier this week. Parent-teacher conferences will be held on November 15 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., with appointments scheduled in five minute periods.

Have a great weekend!

Yours in black and orange,

Michael Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School