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Hello Natick High School Caregivers,
As we move towards the end of October, we are heading towards the end of term 1, which closes on Halloween. We are encouraging our students to finish strong, and we encourage you to reiterate that message for your Natick High student. During the next two weeks, there is also a lot happening here!
This Monday, school is closed for Diwali. For those of you who celebrate Diwali, I wish you a wonderful holiday! This coming week, we will also be having our annual Choral Fall Fest fundraiser! For those of you who have younger students, it will be a great night out and a great way to raise money for our NHS vocal music program.
Next weekend, many of our students are also taking the PSATs; if your student is included, please arrive early! The traffic often gets heavy that morning, and we know that it can be stressful to be late. We are also in the process of signing students up for winter athletics, and will be hosting an Athletics Informational Evening on October 29th for all interested families. Be sure to note the requirements and deadlines below for registering for winter sports. The term will end that Friday, along with Halloween.
Our NHS Halloween tradition is for ONLY our youngest and oldest students to dress up. So, our seniors, and our preschoolers wear costumes. I will send out important safety information regarding Halloween shortly. Be on the lookout for that messaging.
Lastly, I wanted to congratulate our students who were recently recognized by the National Merit Qualifying Board. This year, we had a record 20 NHS students, who were chosen by the National Merit Qualifying Board as either commended students or as National Merit semi-finalists. This is a testament their hard work and the educational community here at NHS that supports them.
I hope you have a great weekend and thank you for your continued support!
Warmly,
Josepha Blocker
Principal, Natick High School
10/20 - Diwali - No School
10/22 - Choral Fall Fest @ 6pm
10/25 - PSATs (Information shared to 10th grade and 11th grade families)
10/26 - Flutie 5K for Autism (Community event taking place at NHS; info below)
10/29 - Parent/Guardian Athletics Information Night @ 6pm
10/31 - Last Day of Term 1
11/1 - Deadline to register for AP exams
11/1 - Class of 2027 Parent Bingo Night Fundraiser
11/3 - Start of Term 2
11/5 - 11/6 - MCAS Retest in ELA
11/11 - Veteran's Day - No School
11/12 - 11/13 - MCAS Retest in Math
To those of you celebrating, I want to wish you a happy Diwali! This Monday school is closed in celebration. As always, to promote an inclusive school environment, we never want students to be forced to choose between their religious observance and their education. If your child needs accommodations to support your religious observance, please contact their teachers.
Last month, students in grades K–10 participated in reading and math screeners through our Universal Screener, Renaissance Learning. These short assessments provide teachers with important information to monitor progress, identify areas of need, and ensure that each student receives the right support to grow.
Teachers and instructional teams are now analyzing the results to guide instruction and support. Family reports will be sent home at the end of this month so you can review your child’s progress. You can read the general letter send by the district here.
We are approaching the window for the MCAS ELA and Mathematics retest period.
The dates for this MCAS retest administration are:
- Wednesday, November 5th - ELA Session 1
- Thursday, November 6th - ELA Session 2
- Wednesday, November 12th - Mathematics Session 1
- Thursday, November 13th - Mathematics Session 2
AP® (Advanced Placement ) Exam registration is now open. Students must register before November 1st to avoid late fees. Please note that simply taking a course does NOT automatically register a student for the AP exam.
Here is the link to the 2025-2026 AP Exam Registration Site.
Note: These exams are intended for students who are currently enrolled in an AP course at Natick High School or have prepared for exams independently.
You can now purchase your 2025-2026 yearbook HERE.
Any questions related to yearbook orders should be directed to Yearbook Advisor, Jonathan Fleming, at jfleming@natickps.org.
A provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a federal law, requires secondary schools, upon a receipt of a request, to release the names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of students attending the high school to United States military recruiters. If you wish to have your student’s name removed from this reporting list, please fill out the Military Exempt Form by October 31, 2025 and return it to Mrs. Slattery in the NHS Guidance Office via email at doslattery@natickps.org.
What: Athletic Parent Orientation/Coaches' Meeting
When: Wednesday, October 29th @ 6PM
Where: NHS Auditorium
Tim Collins, Natick Public Schools Director of Athletics, will be hosting an orientation for parents/guardians interested in learning more about Natick Athletics. The evening will consist of two parts: a general presentation on our athletics program and smaller meetings with the coaches of the various winter sports.
During the general presentation, we will go over the offerings of the Natick Athletics Department, the registration process, the rules and policies, the winter try-outs process, and the winter practice sites and times for the various teams.
During the smaller meetings with the coaches, parents/guardians will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the individual winter sport coaches, including the coaches for Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Ice Hockey, Girls Ice Hockey, Boys Indoor Track, Girls Indoor Track, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Dance, Boys' Swim/Dive, Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing.
All families are encouraged to attend!
We are thrilled to be offering a traditional slate of winter athletic opportunities including:
- Boys' Basketball
- Girls' Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Dance
- Gymnastics
- Boys' Ice Hockey
- Girls' Ice Hockey
- Alpine Ski
- Nordic Ski
- Boys' Swim/Dive
- Boys' Indoor Track
- Girls' Indoor Track
- Wrestling
Registration Opens: October 14th 2025 @ 12pm
Registration Deadline: November 14th 2025 @ 12pm
NEW INFORMATION REGARDING PAYMENT
Payment is not needed until teams are made.
Payment Deadline*: Complete payment / Financial Assistance is due on December 15 2025 @ 12pm
* Payment made after 12/15 at noon will incur a $25 late fee.
* If payment has not been made by 12/22 at 12pm, your student will NOT be permitted to participate until payment is made.
To register, each student athlete will need:
- A Completion of Course certificate from the two required online courses for student athletes
- A copy of the student athlete's up-to-date physical
Information on each of these requirements, the registration link and the payment link are below.
First Day of the MIAA Winter Season: December 1, 2025
The MIAA allows winter athletics to begin as of this date. More information will be shared from the Athletics Department in the coming weeks on specific first-day details for each team, including sites and times.
All student athletes from MIAA schools, including NHS, MUST complete two free NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) courses before registering for a sport: one general course and one concussion course. These courses are available at the links below.
After completing a course, a student athlete will earn a Completion of Course certificate, which the athlete will need to upload as a part of the registration process.
A few details for multi-sport athletes:
- A multi-sport athlete must only complete the courses one time during the academic year.
- If an athlete has already completed the course after May 23, 2025 the course completion certificate should already populate into the registration and/or the athlete should use their previous course completion certificate to proceed with the registration process.
Your student's physical must have taken place within 13 months to suffice for athletics registration. If you need a new physical, and cannot get an appointment with your child's physician, you may need to consider going to an Urgent Care or Minute Clinic OR have your doctor write a note stating the date of your child's upcoming physical and that your child is "healthy and able to participate in sports". A current physical or doctor's note is necessary to participate in sports. Please note that you must submit a physical, not the summary.
We continue to work with Natick Central School Administration, The Natick Health Department, and The Natick School Committee to ensure that we are up to date with Health Metrics and Guidance.
Natick High School will be hosting the ASVAB Exam, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The test for any JUNIORS AND SENIORS that are interested in taking the exam.
This test is optional, free, and administered during the school day to students who register for it. The ASVAB test is coordinated by NHS College and Career Counselor, Jon Nardi (jnardi@natickps.org), and administered by local military representatives. It is an excellent way for students to learn how their skills may be used in the workforce and to learn which careers best match your skills and interests.
Who: Juniors & Seniors who register
Test Date and Time: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 from 8:10am - 11:10am
Test Location: Natick High School Lecture Hall
Registration: By October 24th HERE: https://forms.gle/h14BuLkhcx1NtrTW7
*It is crucial for students to sign up by the deadline, if they would like to participate. Prior to the test date, those taking the test will need a caregiver to sign a very short district waiver because an outside organization is providing the test.
To learn more about the test and see practice questions, please check out the test's official website:
https://www.officialasvab.com/
The ASVAB Career Exploration Website (test takers are given access after they finish the test):
If you have any questions about the test or registration process, please reach out to Mr. Nardi in Guidance: jnardi@natickps.org
As a reminder, all Juniors are automatically registered and are encouraged to take the PSATs. Sophomores had the option to sign up and pay the fee of $35 to take the test. As we prepare for this exam, we wanted to share some important information:
Important information for the Junior Class.
Important information for the Sophomore's signed up to take the test on 10/25.
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.
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