| Upcoming Events: Athletic Booster Club Monday, Feb. 3rd 7:00 p.m. SHS Commons BOE Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 4th 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. SMS Media Center 8th Grade to 9th Grade Orientation Wednesday, Feb. 5th 6:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Suffield High School Auditorium (Feb. 6th Snow Date) SPED PAC Tuesday, Feb. 11th 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. MIS Portable 4 FFA Greenhand & Chapter Degree Night Wednesday, Feb. 12th 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Suffield High School Auditorium, Cafe, and Ag Wing No School Feb. 17th - Feb. 18th February Break BOE Meeting Wednesday, Feb. 19th 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. SMS Media Center
SHS Pops Concert Wednesday, Feb. 26th 7:00 p.m. SHS Auditorium 2013-2014 School Calendar School Lunch Menu College Planning Calendars 2013-2014 Suffield High School Student Handbook Technology Tools for Parents & Guardians School Closing, Delayed Opening, and Early Release Protocol Letter - PDF Applied & Fine Arts - December Spotlight SAT Bootcamp - March 1st and 2nd SKI CLUB DATES HAVE CHANGED! | | SCHOOL CLIMATE NEWS: In a recent edition of our newsletter, you may have read about the Names Can Really Hurt Us assembly hosted by SHS on November 5th. In the way of an update, we would like to share several initiatives that serve to continue the work begun with the assembly and which were, by design, born directly out of the assembly through the ideas and suggestions of students. One such idea stems from the norms set by trained student leaders for the November event, captured in the acronym “ROPES”. Ropes created a safety net for all participants at the assembly, wherein “R” reminded students to be respectful and “O” prompted them to both be open and to own their words and actions, signaling “ouch” if someone says something that hurts them and “oops” to begin an apology and take ownership for hurting others. The “P” signals students to participate fully, whether as an active listener, a responsive audience member, or as speaker. We had to be flexible in our inclusion of “E” which stands for “escuchar,” the Spanish word meaning to listen. The final letter “S” stands for “support” because, as members of a community, we must all remember to support one another. Students responded to the positive “ROPES” message and suggested that we extend the tone it established that day throughout each and every classroom. Hence, our principal launched a contest in which students in Ms. Kerri Michaud-Bagley and Mr. Tim Kudrle’s art classes created posters that reflected the ROPES vision. Approximately 70 students took part, with entries judged on layout, readability, and creativity. Senior Brigitte Rathey’s poster was selected to represent this initiative; her design will be displayed in all classrooms beginning in second semester with classroom teachers incorporating the norms into their classes. In addition, a number of students were inspired to form the new Impact Club which will focus on sustaining the positive “momentum” gained through the assembly. The club’s name is borrowed from the theme for the assembly day, which was emblazoned on every student and faculty facilitator’s T-shirt: “You will never know….your IMPACT!” Although we enjoy a largely positive school climate, we know that this is an area in need of constant attention and nurturing in any school. The post-assembly initiatives are all examples of our ongoing efforts to make Suffield High an even more comfortable and welcoming learning environment for all members of our school community. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JOSEPH BLAKE RECEIVES MAJOR HONOR: We always knew that our very own Mr. Blake was a super assistant principal. As it turns out, his reputation extends throughout the state! Mr. Blake was recently selected as the High School Assistant Principal of the Year, an award bestowed annually by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Only one top assistant principal in the state is selected at the high school level. Click Here to read the Connecticut Association of Schools announcement. Senior Benjamin Gee says about our assistant principal, “Immediately upon meeting Mr. Blake I thought how comfortable he made me feel as he treated me with singular attention during our conversation, giving me all the respect that one would normally reserve for an adult rather than a young sophomore. This respect is extended not just to me, but to every student, regardless of the nature of his or her interaction.” Please watch the Suffield Observer and other news venues for an official press release! | |
| The girls basketball team has battled some very tough opponents in the first 10 games and has continued to improve with each game. Hustle and tenacity led the Wildcats to a record of 6-4. That record includes some key wins, particularly an overtime victory over Rocky Hill, 47-45. The boys’ varsity basketball team has played inspiring defense, holding opponents to 42 points per game. The defensive effort reflects the team’s overall passionate play. The Suffield indoor track team participated in a number of invitational meets in preparation for the NCCC Conference Championship on January 20 and the state meet on February 7. After those meets, Taylor Stephen was ranked first in the NCCC in the high jump, and pole vault and Lauren Izabel is ranked first in the 1000 meters. The Dance team lost half its participants from last season due to graduation, but the team remains strong. They are looking forward to preparing for the Ellington competition and continuing to concentrate on technique and accuracy. They will keep up the energy and continue to enjoy supporting their fellow SHS teams! The cheerleading team, meanwhile, has been working hard at increasing the difficulty of their stunting skills and preparing for competitions. The ESW (East Granby, Suffield, and Windsor Locks) wrestling co-op team started 4-0 in the NCCC. Leading the team were junior Khamri Thomas with a 14-0 record and senior Nick Condon with an 11-2 mark. The Wildcats hockey team started strong as well. A 5-2-0 start included a win over rival Fermi/Enfield. The Wildcats have earned the reputation as one of the fastest and smartest teams in their division. Boys swimming continues to work at dropping times and improving both individually and as a team. As always, we invite you to come out to support out students in their many extra-curricular endeavors! | |