Natick Redhawks

Hello Natick High School Caregivers,

I hope you had a great winter break, including the two surprise extra snow days! Even though it seems like spring may not be on the horizon, next week we are heading into March. At NHS, a lot happens in the spring, and below you will see a number of things on the horizon.

First, Natick High School's Theatre Company, undeterred by the snow, has been working hard on the student-directed musical, Pippin. Curtains go up tonight at 7 pm, and again tomorrow at 1 pm and 7pm. Congratulations to the student directors, musicians, cast and crew, all of whom have put in a tremendous amount of work on, what I am sure will be, a fantastic production!

Next, you will note that there are updates below on the following:

• Spring athletics registration is open now through Monday!
• There is an upcoming dance hosted by our GSA.
• The Juniors have set the date for their June boat cruise, and encourage students to pay their dues so that they are eligible to purchase tickets.
• The Local Scholarship application process for seniors is underway and closes on March 9th.
• The PTO's planning for the after-prom party is underway and they need your help!
• Our Game Changers are partnering with Spark Kindness and Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund to host an interactive, student-led evening on teen dating violence on March 11th.

We are looking forward to all that is on the horizon, and as always, appreciate your partnership.

Best,

Josepha Blocker

Principal, Natick High School

2/27 - Student-Directed Play, Pippin @ 7 pm

2/28 - Student-Directed Play, Pippin @ 1pm and 7 pm

2/17 - 3/19 - Ramadan Celebrated

3/2 - Deadline for Registration for Spring Athletics

3/7 - Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

3/11 - Staff Professional Development; Students dismissed at 11 am

3/11 - Polar Plunge to Benefit Special Olympics MA

3/13 - GSA Dance

3/20 - Eid al Fitr - School Closed, (Begins evening prior)

3/24 - Grade 10 ELA MCAS, Day 1

3/25 - Grade 10 ELA MCAS, Day 2

We wish all of our Muslim families a Ramadan Mubarak, or a happy Ramadan!

For students who are fasting, we have let their teachers know that they may take a break in the nurses office if they are feeling light headed. The library is also available for students who would like a food-free lunch period. If you celebrate, we hope that this Ramadan is a period of meaningful reflection for you and your family.

Natick High School Theatre Company presents this winter's student-directed. musical, Pippin!

There are three showings:

• Friday, February 27th at 7 pm

• Saturday, February 28th at 1 pm

• Saturday, February 28th at 7 pm

Tickets are $15 and available at the door and online.

Pippin is a 1972 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. The production details the journey of the show's namesake and main character, Pippin, who is a young prince that longs to find passion and adventure in his life. He encounters politics, war, adventure, and many other instances on his quest to find fulfillment in his life.

Registration closes this Monday March 2, 2026. Any registration after this date may not be approved. Do not wait. Sign up now!

• Please find linked here our registration information for 2026 Spring Sports Registration. Read all of this thoroughly so you understand and do not miss anything.

• Two courses are required annually for student athletes: The NFHS Concussion Course and ArxEd Student Athlete course
• All of the courses are embedded in the registration to make it easier to find them and to upload the certificates of completion.

• We have updated the courses to make them more time efficient and effective.
• If you have not taken either course since May 23, 2025, then you have to do them again. By Massachusetts state mandate this course has to be done each academic year.
• The ArxEd Student Athlete course is also required annually.

The Natick High School GSA presents our 13th annual GSA Dance!

This year's theme is Secret Garden and will take place on Friday, March 13th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm in the Natick High School Student Cafeteria. There will be music, dancing, a photo booth, and other LGBTQ+ students and allies!

The Choir Room will be available as a quiet space for students throughout the duration of the event.

Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. All ticket sales are cash only. We hope to see you there!

The Natick High School PTO is preparing to host the annual after-prom party, and they need your help! This party is an important FREE opportunity for our seniors to have a safe, substance-free, after-prom celebration. This is important for both our seniors and our community that evening.

PTSO and the After-Prom Committee CANNOT put on this event without your help!

Volunteer to chaperone! Parents and guardians of all grades can volunteer here

Contributions can be in the form of raffle prize donations or monetary donations.

Monetary donations can be made via:

• Venmo
• Paypal
• Checks made out to NHS PTSO
• Cash

Thank you for your support of our seniors!

Save the date for the Junior Boat Cruise, on Thursday, June 4th! Information on registering for the cruise will be available shortly.

Please note that juniors must pay their class dues to be eligible to attend the boat cruise.

Class dues, a one-time fee of $100 that benefit class activities, can be paid at any time during a student's four years of high school. Juniors who have not paid class dues yet, can do so by

• Paying online here.

• Writing a check payable to Natick High School with the student's name and "Class of 2027" in the memo line

If you are unsure whether your junior has already paid or have questions about the boat cruise, please contact to Class of 2027 advisors Deanna Kanavas-DeRocher (dkanavas-derocher@natickps.org) or Jim Brosnihan (jbrosnihan@natickps.org).

We are looking forward to a night to remember!

Last year, Natick students received close to $300,000 in local scholarships from our generous community, and they are poised to do the same this year! Some scholarship opportunities support going to college and others support going into a trade, certificate program or vocational program. Therefore, all students should consider applying.

Here are some details.

• A link for this year's scholarship process was emailed on to all seniors this past Wednesday (2/4) and the portal to apply is now open through Monday, March 9th.

• A guide will be sent to students to walk them through the application process using the AwardSpring platform.

• Once students have completed and submitted their application, they will be matched with all scholarship opportunities open to them.

• Many scholarships have additional required materials that will only be available after the initial application is submitted. Therefore, students should plan to submit their initial application by Monday, February 16th to allow plenty of time to submit any supplemental materials by Monday, March 9th, the deadline to submit all application materials.

• Please reach out to Donna Slattery (doslattery@natickps.org) in the Guidance Office with questions.

Congratulations to Coach Ivor Ford and students Owen Ford (12th), Anthony Lu, (12th), Lauren Lee (12th), Declan Rooney (12th), Harrison Koons (10th) and Henry Miller (10th, not pictured).

Since attending the taping of the WGBH High School Quiz show on January 31st, we have been sworn to secrecy on the results. But, the wait will be over on March 19th, when the Natick team’s competition versus Waltham High School will air at 6 PM on the Quiz Show YouTube channel. Then, on Saturday, March 21st at 6 PM, it will air again on GBH 2, PBS Passport, and highschoolquizshow.org. You can check out the full High School Quiz Show Season 17 bracket here.

Led by Coach Brittany Crosby, Natick High’s Varsity Dance Team captured first place during their first competition of the season on Sunday, February 8th at the La Salle Academy’s Ram Ruble in Providence, RI. Their dynamic Jazz/Contemporary routine earned top honors in the high school dance division, reflecting the team’s hard work, artistry, dedication and preparation.

Congratulations to Anna Minagorashvili whose artwork was selected for the Emerging Young Artists + Designers 2026 Juried Exhibition, hosted by the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. 100 artworks were selected out of 550 submissions from schools across New England.

To view those honored, visit https://www.umassd.edu/cvpa/galleries/campus-gallery/exhibitions/2026/eyad-2026-juried-exhibition.html

Congratulations to the NHS Student Artists selected for 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!

The following students’ artwork is displayed from top left to bottom right:

Faisal Betti - Photography, Pre Game Jitters, Honorable Mention

Faisal Betti - Photography, Ramblin Dan, Silver Key

Eva Clark - Painting, Mountaintopper2011 , Honorable Mention

Eva Clark - Painting, In the Clouds, Honorable Mention

Owen Eckstein - Ceramics & Glass, Trash Can-Cookie Jar, Honorable Mention

Jessica Liu - Experimental Photography, Mixed Compositions, Gold Key

Jessica Liu - Drawing, Life Imitates Nature, Honorable Mention

Savanah McCarthy - Drawing, Fractured Horizon, Honorable Mention

George Salis - Photography, Platon Photography, Gold Key

Ellie Santos - Ceramics & Glass, Cactus Cookie Jar, Honorable Mention

On Saturday, February 21st, the Natick High School Science Bowl team traveled to MIT for the Northeast Region’s Annual National Science Bowl Competition. Our team placed 3rd in their division of seven schools with a very strong performance, trailing Phillips Academy, Exeter, and competing neck-to- neck with Bedford High School.

Congratulations to Coaches Bill Sanford and Ratty Amaravadi, as well as students (pictured left to right) Grace Zhang (12th), Madeleine Cohen (10th), Michael Coppollotti (12th), Ritvik Ghosh (9th).

This event is open to the public, and some NHS students will be volunteering!

The Harvard School of Dental Medicine is hosting another "Give Kids a Smile", a free dental care event for children! The team of dental professionals and students will provide: free dental exams, cleanings and fluoride treatments, sealants and cavity screenings, oral health education and fun activities, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.

Date: February 28th, 2026

Location: Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA

Parking - Patient parking is complimentary on the event day at the adjoining above-ground lot at 188 Longwood OR at the 77 Louis Pasteur Garage.

Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

This event is open to children ages 1-18, regardless of insurance status. Parents and guardians are encouraged to register in advance to secure an appointment at https://www.hsdm.harvard.edu/event/give-kids-smile.

Families who wish to participate, but do not have transportation, can fill this FORM.

A school bus will be available at Kennedy Middle School on the 28th at 8:30 am and returning 1 pm.

The Middlesex District Attorney's Office is hosting a "Healthy Teen Relationships" webinar this coming Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom.

The event will feature Dr. Emily Rothman who is a Professor of Community Health Sciences at Boston University's School of Public Health.

To register, visit this page: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_WPvMbB2US5unYhzqSlJfjA.

As we head into prom season, consider donating any prom dresses (or old bridesmaid dresses) to the Natick Service Council. It is a great way to support our community and students.

Where:

Natick Service Council

2 Webster Street

Natick, MA

When:

Drop off any time from 9 AM - 5 PM

Mondays through Thursdays

Now Through March 7th

Students are invited to the Personal Pathways to Success: Career and Training Fair!

When: March 10th, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: Keefe Tech High School, Framingham

Connect with local job seekers, employers, training programs, and colleges to learn about the diverse postsecondary pathways available beyond the traditional four-year college experience.

At Natick High School, we are fortunate to have a group of students committed to violence prevention, who are a part of our Gamechangers program. In honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, with financial support from Spark Kindness, in partnership with the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund, these NHS students are offering the Loved to Death workshop, a student-led, free event.

Join us for this important evening on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30 pm at Natick High School.

Parents, caregivers, educators, community members and older high school students in 11th and 12th grades are welcomed, and should REGISTER HERE.

This program will feature a video regarding the tragic loss of Wayland resident Lauren Astley in 2011. During this interactive evening, Natick High School students will facilitate important conversations for community members, high school students and parents to promote healthy relationships, while recognizing the signs of unhealthy relationships and developing effective intervention skills. Learn more about Lauren's story at the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund website.

Presented by the Natick High Game Changers with support from Spark Kindness.

Spark Kindness and the Natick Health Department are co-hosting an upcoming FREE program called Navigating Technology and Tween/Teen Well-Being on Thursday, March 12th from 7:00-8:30pm at Kennedy Middle School.

This unique program for both families and their youth (grades 4-8) will provide practical strategies for all ages on how to achieve more balanced tech use. The program will be led by Dr. Jill Walsh, a sociologist and researcher on social media and adolescent development at Boston University. To learn more and register for this event, please visit: https://www.sparkkindness.org/events/navigating-tech-teen-well-being.

Regular attendance to school is vital to your student's education. If your NHS student needs to be absent, please email call the absence line at 508-647-6601 before 10 am on the day of your student's absence. Please note that if we do not receive the necessary call from you, you will receive a call from us! Please see the handbook for other attendance related information regarding excused absences.

Reminder If you want to volunteer in schools, you must have a CORI check conducted and you must go into the building with identification (drivers license or passport) to do this. Click here for description of what a CORI check is and does. Without a CORI check, you cannot volunteer in the school. Here is the form to fill out for a CORI.

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.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• 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