MHS STUDENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER

RSU 57 & Massabesic High School

"Preparing students for success in an ever-changing world."

Hello Mustang Nation,

As we enter the final few days before an extended break, I hope you can take a few moments to check out some of the wonderful accomplishments of our students and fun activities happening at MHS in recent days. This is only a snippet of good things produced by our amazing students and staff. I am continually reminded, each and every day, of the vast array of skills and potential amongst our student population. We truly have fantastic young people here at MHS. I wish you all 'Happy Holidays' as you prepare to spend time resting and relaxing with family and friends.

Progress Reports

Our recent Progress Report #2 for Semester 1 is now viewable on ParentVue & StudentVue. If you have any questions related to your student's report please reach out their grade-level school counselor.

MHS Music Department Winter Concert Success!

A special congratulations to the Band and Choral students under the direction of Ms. Farrington & Mr. Halpin-Desmarais. The MHS Music Department performed a fantastic concert on Thursday evening to a packed crowd. The MHS Music Department has grown considerable in the past few years - we appreciate the support of the community and we are incredibly proud of the skills and abilities of our young musicians.

Athletic Director

Additionally, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Director of Athletics, Mr. Alex McCormack-Kuhman. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Mr. Alex McCormack-Kuhman in the building today as he toured the facility, met some members of staff, and greeted students. Mr. McCormack-Kuhman's energy and enthusiasm were well-received and I look forward to the positive impact he will have on our athletic programming at MHS, MMS, and across the district. Mr. McCormack-Kuhman begins officially on Friday, January 2, 2026.

There are No Morning Meetings this week.

As a reminder, our Green/White day rotation for this week is below:

Monday, 12.22.25 - GREEN

Tuesday, 12.23.25 - WHITE

Wednesday, December 24 - January 4, 2026 - School Closed

Return to school on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Take care,

-Mr. Thurlow

Saturday, December 20 at the USM Ice Arena in Gorham at 2:15 pm - our 8 MHS hockey players- who play for the Gorham High School team - will be playing a home game versus Marshwood HS. This is the hockey team's Teddy Bear Toss/ Canned Food Drive night for the Gorham Food Pantry. Spectators are encouraged to bring new teddy bears to throw on the ice when Gorham scores their first goal of the game in a time-honored tradition. Any donated canned food items and donations will be collected at the gate as well. It would be a tremendous show of support if we had a strong Massabesic student section at the game on Saturday. Go Mustangs/Rams!

Massabesic High School & RSU 57 proudly wish to recognize Walker Vivian for his recent acceptance to the highly competitive and world-renowned Princeton University. Walker is a Senior at Massabesic HS and is the son of Theresa & William Vivian of Lyman. Acceptance into this prestigious university is no small feat - Walker has dedicated countless hours, relentless focus, and a determination to succeed at the very highest of levels in his academics. Additionally, Walker serves the RSU 57 School Board as a student representative. We are incredibly proud of Walker and his accomplishments - there are truly great things in store in the future for this remarkable young man.

In December, the Resiliency Project worked to spread awareness about Depression as the holiday season can be a challenge for many. We researched facts about Depression and posted them in common areas around the school to help students at Massesbesic understand more about this mental health condition.

Students learned that Depression is a common, serious mood disorder, not just sadness, affecting millions globally, causing persistent low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and impacting daily life, with causes including genetics, brain changes, trauma, and other health issues; it's highly treatable with therapy, medication, or both, and seeking help is crucial as it can be debilitating and even lead to suicide.

As we head into the holiday season, we will be having our annual holiday spirit days. Below is a list of the spirit days:

Spirit days

Monday (12/22) Holiday hats

Tuesday (12/23): PJ Day

Enjoy your holiday season!

Congratulations to the winners listed below.

1st place - Mrs. Todd's Homeroom

2nd place - Ms. Christie's Homeroom

3rd place - Mr. Poulin's Homeroom

Honorable mention - Every participant!

Mrs. Todd and her homeroom students will be the recipients of some fantastic treats during homeroom on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Vanessa McCurry (Grade 12) & Audrey Gonneville (Grade 12) recently participated in the Varsity Spirit Holiday Spectacular held at Walt Disney World in Florida . It was quite a sight to see! Over 900 high school cheerleaders from across the country were in attendance. Vanessa & Audrey are part of a group of captains, co-captains and seniors that attended NCA camp over the summer which qualified them to be a part of an exclusive holiday performance at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

This past week several students met individually with a Husson University admissions representative. They were awarded their admission acceptance, merit scholarship amounts, goodie bag, and even offered a photo opt! It was wonderful to see their smiles and excitement!

Your MHS School Counselors are looking forward to hosting more on the spot admission days in the very near future!

Please consider supporting the MHS SWIM TEAM by purchasing exclusive Swim Team gear with the link below.

Captain Howell & Chief Lipp with our NJROTC program are proud to announce upcoming opportunities for our students to participate in Sea Perch Competitions - students will be engaged in building underwater drones and testing them out against other students from the region at a competition held at the University of New Hampshire.

Interested students should connect directly with Captain & Chief (we are currently looking at around 30 available spots).

Sea Perch practice/work days are as follows:

Tuesday, March 3 - Block 4 and after school (1:00 - 4:00 pm)

Wednesday, March 4 - Block 4 and after school (1:00 - 4:00 pm)

Thursday, March 5 - Block 4 and after school (1:00 - 4:00pm)

As we enter the colder and more problematic months of the school year we want to ensure that families are aware of support that exists to help those experiencing challenging times. The link provides information for food assistance programs by town throughout the state for families in need.

A reminder to students and families regarding cell phones and personal electronic devices - district policy prohibits the use of these devices during the school day, therefore school rules dictate that these devices are not to be found in a student's possession. School sanctioned options for storage as listed below - any deviation from those options will result in immediate and progressive consequences. (Of course, we want to avoid consequences if possible)

1. Leave the cell phone/personal electronic device at home.

2. Leave the cell phone/personal electronic devices in your vehicle or the vehicle of a friend/classmate.

3. Leave the cell phone/personal electronic device in your homeroom.

MHS is proud to expand our partnership with Josten's (think letterman jackets, graduation gear, etc.) to offer an MHS Mascot Shop for lots of great MHS Gear. Please check out the shop using the link below. This site will be available all year long.

Wednesday, Dec., 24 - Friday, January 2: School Closed

Monday, January 5 - Return to School

Wednesday, January 14 - Early Release Day

Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)

January 20 - January 23: Finals Week

Friday, January 23 - End of Semester 1

Monday, January 26 - Beginning of Semester 2

Wednesday, January 28 - Early Release Day

You are always welcome to call our Main Office at (207) 247-3141, schedule a meeting, or email members of our administrative team members directly (emails listed below):