Natick Redhawks

Hello Natick High School Caregivers,

Welcome to this Sunday, post-prom edition of the newsletter! The senior class had an amazing night at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on Friday and a great after-prom party into Saturday morning. I want to thank the PTSO, especially APP Leader Maureen Austin, for the work setting up a magical evening that kept the kids safe and happy following prom. It is truly a community effort, and the community rallied in support of 450 young adults on Friday night!

Heading into this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be giving the Science MCAS. This includes the Physics MCAS for 9th graders, and may include the Physics or Biology MCAS for select upperclassmen. (Students other than 9th graders would have been notified if they were included.) We also have several final events for the seniors, leading up to graduation on Friday. We are looking forward to celebrating the graduates with their families! Our juniors will have their Boat Cruise this Thursday, also. Coming up, please look out for an email from me on summer reading/enrichment and summer assignments for some of our advanced courses.

Lastly, the Redhawk Pride section is also full of NHS successes, including a State Championship win in Unified Track and Field for the 4th year running! Check it out below.

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Best,

Josepha Blocker

Principal, Natick High School

6/2 - D3 Athletics Signing Ceremony, 8 am - 9 am

6/2 - Graduation Rehearsal #2, 9 am - 12 pm

6/2 - 6/3 - 9th Grade Physics MCAS

6/4 - Senior Picnic, 11 am - 2 pm

6/4 - Class Night Broadcast @ 7 pm on Pegasus

6/4 - Junior Boat Cruise

6/5 - Graduation, 6 pm (Doors open at 5pm and graduates arrive at 4:45 pm)

6/7 - Graduation Rain Date, 12 pm (Doors open at 11 am and graduates arrive at 10:45 am)

6/11 - 9th Grade End of Year Celebration, 5 pm to 7 pm (details forthcoming)

6/15 - Last day of classes, grades 9 - 11

6/16 - Blue Blocks 4 & 3 Final Exams, Early Release @ 11 am

6/16 - Redhawk Fest, 11:15 am - 12: 30 pm

6/17 - Blue Blocks 2 & 1 Final Exams, Early Release @ 11 am

6/18 - Red Blocks 4 & 3 Final Exams, Early Release @ 11 am

6/19 - Juneteenth - No SCHOOL

6/22 - Red Blocks 2 & 1 Final Exams, Early Release @ 11 am

6/23 - Final Exam Make Ups; Last Day of School, Early Release @ 11 am

Before break, all senior caregivers and students received this newsletter detailing important information on the road to graduation!

Caregivers of seniors should review this information here.

Seniors will begin in the auditorium and move to the gymnasium. This is when Seniors learn the flow of graduation and walkthrough the ceremony. Students will receive their caps and gowns and their cumulative student files. This is also the final chance to clear any remaining obligations. Seniors with outstanding materials may not receive their caps and gowns until those are rectified.

Seniors will have their class picnic from 11 am - 2 pm on Memorial Field on Thursday, 6/4.

Connect with the class for the last time before graduation with food trucks, music and games!

Recipients of NHS Local Scholarships will be announced during the Class of 2026 Class Night Award Program on June 4th at 7pm. The program is pre-recorded and will be aired on the Natick Pegasus channel.

Links and Television stations are listed below:

• Education Channel
• Xfinity 08
• Fios 30
• Astound 13 / 1130
• Live Stream
• Schedule

Detailed information, including the amount and contact information, will be mailed to recipients on June 4th.

The recording will be available for future viewing on our website along with a program pamphlet.

** Graduation will be on Memorial Field at 6 pm on Friday, June 5th. **

Seniors must arrive at 4:45 pm. The gates to Memorial Field open for guests at 5 pm. Seating is on the bleachers and is first-come-first served. Please plan ahead to secure parking.

For seniors, or otehr students leaving NHS, if you have any emails or documents you would like saved, the following options are available as you won't have access to your school account after August 1, 2026.

1. Use Google Takeout: takeout.google.com

2. Use Google Transfer (You will need a personal gmail account to use this option): https://takeout.google.com/transfer

Any questions feel free to stop by the Technology Office.

The 9th graders will be taking the Physics MCAS this Tuesday and Wednesday. Even though the MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement, Natick High is still evaluated as a school based on our performance on MCAS. The exams also serve as a scholarship-qualifer for state schools. We encourage all of our students to do their best, and would be grateful if you woudl reinforce that at home.

• Testing will be during block 1 and 2 only for each day. Classes will resume for 9th graders during blocks 3 and 4.
• Students will be sent their classroom assignments for MCAS by email tomorrow, Monday, June 1st. They will be the same for both days of testing.
• Students must use their district issued Chromebooks complete the MCAS. Personal devices of any kid may not be used.
• Students should arrive both days with their fully charged school-issued Chromebook.

Thank you to those of you who bought Boat Cruise tickets. Ticket sales are now final.

• Everyone attending the Boat Cruise needs to ride the bus
• Please be at NHS at 3:45 pm on Thursday, June 4th.
• If you are late, you will not be able to attend.
• Buses will leave NHS at promptly at 4:00 pm and return by 11:00 pm.-
• Students will be assigned to buses alphabetically.
• Dues must be paid to get on bus to attend event.
• The Boat Cruise company has their own security in addition to our NHS chaperones.
• All expectations of our school's student handbook will be enforced

Questions?

Please reach out to Class Advisors Ms. Kanavas-DeRocher (dkanavas-derocher@natickps.org) and Mr. Brosnihan (jbrosnihan@natickps.org) or any of the class officers with questions.

Natick Public Schools is committed to supporting the whole child, recognizing that student well-being is essential for learning and success. We are pleased to share an important initiative designed to support the well-being of our students and families. Through the district’s Wrap-Around Services Grant, we are expanding access to nutritious snacks and frozen meals for students.

Food options will include frozen meals, along with fresh items such as apples, oranges, and yogurt from our school meal program, supplemented by grant funding from the MetroWest Health Foundation. If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Natalia Dimitrova-Topaloff at ndimitrova-topaloff@natickps.org.

Students have end-of-year summative assessments in all classes. Some of these assessments are in the form of projects, papers or portfolios. Those assessments will be due the week prior to final exams. The courses with final exams will have those tests on June 16th, 17th, 18th and 22nd, plus a make-up day on June 23rd. A few details are listed below to help you plan for this time period.

• Students will be released at 11 am on all final exam days.
• Only two classes will meet per day.
• The dates are as follows:
• June 16th: BLUE Block 4 and Block 3
• June 17th: BLUE Block 2 and Block 1
• June 18th: RED Block 4 and Block 3
• June 22nd: RED Block 2 and Block 1
• June 23rd: Make up Day
• There will be a break for students between exams.
• Typical attendance rules apply. Students scheduled for study halls should plan to attend those study halls unless excused by a parent.
• Even classes without exams.

Click here to view a printable version of the final exam schedule.

On Wednesday, Natick High hosted the Unified Track and Field State Finals for over 700 students across Massachusetts. Students in our Gamechangers program were excellent hosts, greeters and supporters for the events and Anneliese Bouzan did an amazing job singing the National Anthem. The day was capped off with a championship win for the Redhawks for the 4th year in a row!

Congratulations to all of our student athletes and Coaches DiAntonio and Harris for an amazing day.

I also want to take the time to thank the entire the staff of our Unified Program who support our students year round including Heather Albanese, Nick Coleman, Charlie Cotter, Sheila Curran, Nick DiAntonio, Abigail Driscoll, Christine Fleming, Joe Guidice, Erin Harris, Hailey Huff, John Larkin, Angel Lebron, Ben Maki, Emily Maltinsky, Blake Martinez, Anne Meisner, Maryanne Ouellet, Nick Roberts, Christine Small, Jenn Spencer, and Emily Tobin. Our strong commitment to inclusion is what makes NHS an amazing place to be!

We are moving towards the end of our Spring Athletics Season. Here are some highlights!

Baseball finished the regular season as the #7 seed in Division 1 with a 15-5 record, advanced to the final of the 2026 Pedroli Classic against Franklin High School, and is positioned to host multiple playoff games this postseason.

Boys Volleyball earned the #3 seed with a 14-3 record, split season matchups against Needham High School and Brookline High School, and is aiming for another Final Four appearance.

Girls Lacrosse earned a home playoff game against Winchester High School after another strong season.

Boys Lacrosse finished the regular season 14-4, highlighted by just the second win over Needham High School in program history, and will host a home playoff game.

Softball was led by a tremendous Senior class that includes multiple student athletes committed to continuing their careers at the collegiate level.

Boys Tennis qualified for the postseason once again, while sophomore Rafael Schenk continued his standout season by qualifying for the individual state tournament.

Girls Tennis earned another home tournament match, while senior Grace Zhang placed 4th in the individual state tournament over Memorial Day weekend.

Boys and Girls Track & Field finished 8th and 3rd respectively at the conference meet, with conference champions including:

• John Bianchi in the boys mile
• Chloe Elder in the 200m and 400m
• Emmi Edozien in the 100 hurdles
• Lilly Chisolm in the shot put
• Callum Doyle, Freddie Van Der Velden, Declan Hava, and John Bianchi in the boys 4x800 relay
• Christina Daigle, Gretchen Bloomer, Chloe Elder, and Kayla Dunlap in the girls 4x400 relay.

Ultimate Frisbee is set to host Senior Night on Wednesday after a strong showing at the state competition over Memorial Day weekend.

Juniors Denai Williams and Bridget Pole were honored at the 2026 MIAA Woman's and Girls in Sport Day at Faneuil Hall on May 19th! Congratulations to Denai and Bridget who joined 250 student athletes acorss the Commonwealth for receipt of this honor.

The National Speech & Debate Association awards students recognition through points and degrees in the NSDA Honor Society. Each new degree represents hours of learning, practice, and improvement by your students thanks to dedicated coaching of Amanda Parker, Joyce Albert, and Sarah Donnelly.

The following degrees were earned at Natick High School from 4/1 - 4/30:

Distinction: Adwait Acharya, Ben Avitzur

Excellence: Saumya Ahuja -

Honor: Kaitlyn Dole

Amanda Parker earned the Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award in our Honor Society!

Receiving the Donus Award is a remarkable achievement and indicates that Amanda has earned 10,000 coaching points. Coaches earn one point for every merit point earned by their students through competition, service, and leadership activities. Each point represents hours of practice, revision, and growth for your students and dedicated coaching by Amanda.

Thank you to our PTSO for their ongoing support to our students and faculty. Our PTSO is looking for more volunteers to assist them with their work for the school year. You can learn more about the NHS PTSO, and how to get involved by visiting their website and subscribing to their monthly newsletter at the top of their webpage. You can subscribe to their monthly newsletter at the top of their webpage!

Please reach out for more information about volunteering opportunities at natickhighptso@gmail.com.

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5