ROCKLAND HIGH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

On Friday, March 20, Rockland High School’s Bulldog Buddies attended the annual Spring Fling dance at Weymouth High School. The evening began with a special red carpet arrival, where families and friends gathered to cheer on students as they entered. It was a wonderful event, and we are grateful to Weymouth for including our students. It was clear that a great time was had by all!

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, sophomores took the ELA MCAS exam. In addition, approximately 70 juniors participated in the school-day SAT on Tuesday. Test administration ran smoothly, and students approached the assessments with focus and effort. Students who missed the MCAS exam will participate in scheduled make-up sessions.

Looking ahead, the Grade 10 Math MCAS will take place on May 19 and 20, and the Grade 9 Science MCAS will be administered on June 2 and 3.

On Wednesday, the Harlem Wizards visited the RHS gym for a faculty vs. Wizards basketball game, creating an exciting and memorable evening for our school community. The event, organized by the RHS Athletics Boosters, was an outstanding fundraiser that brought together students and families from across the district to cheer on their teachers as they took on the pros.

Mr. Kimball and Mr. Eddings, along with several senior basketball players, proudly represented Rockland High School on the court, and it was clear that everyone in attendance had a fantastic time. Thank you to the Athletics Boosters for their hard work and dedication in planning such a successful event in support of our athletics program!

I am pleased to share that our Athletic Director, Dan Kimball, has been selected by the MSSADA District 9 Committee as the District 9 recipient of the Ted Damko Award. Each of the nine MIAA districts nominates one individual in each award category for consideration at the state level, and Dan was chosen in recognition of his outstanding contributions to athletic administration.

On Thursday evening, Mr. Kimball was formally recognized at the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association Conference as a Ted Damko Award winner, with his family in attendance at the awards banquet. Congratulations, Mr. Kimball, on this well-deserved recognition!

MARCH

March 31 - Site Council Meeting, 2:45 PM

APRIL

April 3 - No School, Good Friday

April 6 - Department Head meeting, 2:50 PM

April 8 - Crisis Team Meeting, 9:20 AM

April 8 - Financial Aid Night, 6:00 PM

April 9 - Early Release PD Day, 11:25 AM dismissal

April 13 - Term 3 closes (change)

April 13 - Massasoit On-the-Spot Admissions

April 14 - Senate Leadership Council Meeting, 7:30 AM

April 14 - Pathways Career Fair, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

April 16 - Dog Block, 10:42 - 11:28 AM

April 17 - Autism Awareness Day

April 17 - Term 3 Grades posted (change)

April 17 - Spring Recess begins

April 20 - 24 - Spring Recess

April 29 - 30 - RPS Arts Festival, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

April 30 - VoG Dog Block, 10:42 - 11:28 AM

April 30 - Spellman Oratorical Contest, 7:00 PM

Rockland High School proudly celebrates two of our talented students who performed at the prestigious MMEA All-State Festival, joining over 1,000 of the most gifted high school musicians from across Massachusetts. Lilly George sang in the SAA Chorus, and Cam Aifa performed in the SATB Chorus. After several days of intensive rehearsals with nationally recognized conductors, they took the stage at the historic Hanover Theatre in Worcester in an outstanding culminating concert, representing Rockland with pride and excellence.

Our music faculty also attended the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Conference, participating in a variety of music-specific professional development sessions alongside educators from across the entire state, bringing back new ideas and inspiration to share with our students.

The experience was truly inspiring, highlighting the dedication, talent, and passion for music within the Rockland schools.

The annual RHS musical, Guys and Dolls is this weekend! Performances will take place on March 27-28. Get your tickets early, as the show is sure to sell! Here are the links:

https://www.freshtix.com/events/guys-and-dolls-32726

https://www.freshtix.com/events/guys-and-dolls-32826

Thank you for supporting our students in their performance!

Images is accepting submissions for the spring issue. Please see the attached notification.

Please see the attached information about a post-secondary career fair sponsored by the Landmark School.

Please see the attached information about a exciting opportunity for a hands-on learning opportunity during April vacation.

Financial Aid Night

We are excited to have financial aid expert Jodi Conway come to RHS to share her expertise with our students and families at 6:00 PM on April 8th. Details about the event can be found here.

College Rep Visits: Meet Your Future

College representatives from colleges and universities are visiting RHS to meet with students, share information, and answer questions about admissions, majors, scholarships, and campus life. Learn more about Rep Visits here.

How to Sign Up

Students can sign up for college rep visits through SCOIR - details on signing up can be found here.

As visits will occur during class time, you will receive an E-hall pass for the visit. Your teacher will need to approve the pass! All visits have a cap on the number of attendees and sign ups will close 1 day before, so plan ahead and check often. Do not leave class without a note or summons.

NEACAC Annual Essay Contest - open for Juniors and Seniors - $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships will be awarded. Details can be found here.

We also wanted to let you know about two upcoming National College Fairs sponsored by NACAC - the National Association for College Admissions Counselors.

Hynes Convention Center, Boston

Dates/Times: Monday, April 27th from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Tuesday, April 28th from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 29th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM

More details and registration information for these fairs can be found here.

Seniors attended an assembly last Thursday about local scholarships. The presentation, also in Seniors' Guidance Google classroom, can be found here. Everything students need for local scholarships can be found in the presentation, so please read through it carefully! There are two scholarship lists, each with their own application. Instructions are listed at the top of each list - read them carefully! 4 additional scholarships require their own application - this is all detailed in the presentation.

For scholarships on the General Scholarship list, students only need to complete and submit one application to be considered for every scholarship.

For scholarships on the Outside Scholarship list, students must submit an application for EACH scholarship they are applying for. Some require additional materials; read the instructions for the scholarship carefully as incomplete applications will not be considered.

Students CANNOT submit applications electronically. Completed applications must be printed and brought to Guidance. Students can print applications in the Library on help days - details on help days are in the presentation and can be found here.

THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT COMPLETED SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS TO GUIDANCE IS 3:00 PM on THURSDAY, April 9th. There are NO exceptions to this deadline.

Use your time over the next few weeks to apply for every scholarship you are eligible for - every dollar counts!

If you have questions about scholarships, please refer them to Mrs. Carla Dunn in Guidance (cdunn@rocklandschools.org) or (781) 871-8410.

RHS is partnering with Citizens Bank for a live virtual event on March 31s at 7:00 PM.

The event will focus on paying the college bill and understanding the student loan process.

Details and the meeting link can be found here.

We hope the event is helpful and informative!

As part of a multi-year strategy, the South Shore Technical Institute (at South Shore Voc Tech School in Hanover) will be training new skilled workers in key trades and technical jobs.

THIS IS A FREE 15 WEEK PROGRAM for high school graduates.

Programs for the Fall semester: Automotive, Culinary, HVAC, Manufacturing and Metal Fabrication & Welding

Classes take place Monday - Thursday | 4:00PM-8:00PM

Registration opens on April 6th and classes will fill up.

Program and registration information can be found here.

Please refer to the links below for your convenience.

School Website

Aspen Student & Family Portal

Arbiter Live- Athletic Schedules

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Next week is a short week, with no school on Good Friday. We will hold a senior class meeting on Thursday at 1:15 in the auditorium to review school expectations and student responsibilities as we head into graduation season. This is an exciting first step toward the end of our seniors’ Rockland Public Schools journey. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory for all seniors.

Finally, best of luck to the cast and crew of Guys and Dolls! Performances are scheduled for tonight and tomorrow at 7:00 PM. We encourage everyone to come out and support RHS Drama.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Schipper

Principal