SALEM HIGH SCHOOL

Upcoming Dates

January 19 - No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 21 - John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Breakfast

January 23 - End of Quarter 2

January 30 - Report Cards Emailed to Families

Dining for a Cause Night on January 19 at Longboards in Salem

Salem Unified Sports is hosting a Dining for a Cause Night on January 19 at Longboards in Salem! We will receive 20% of all food purchases while dining-in between 5-9pm.

These kinds of fundraisers go a long way towards paying for our Banquet and new team gear, covering expenses for team bonding, and will also benefit our Unified PE class attending an Adventure Pursuits field trip this Spring!

Please mark your calendars and come out to support our athletes on January 19!

Student Project: Shelter Support

Salem High School is looking for donations to support local shelters and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Student Donations: From January 26th - January 30th during school hours items can be dropped off at Student Activities in RM 150B.

All Other Donations: Donations can be dropped off at the front desk in the lobby of Salem High School.

S.H.E.L.L.

S.H.E.L.L. (Salem High Educator Learning Lab) is a flexible, student-centered approach to education that is designed to support academic growth, exploration, and innovation. The Learning Lab provides educators with time, guidance, and resources to strengthen skills, receive targeted support, collaborate with peers, and extend learning beyond the traditional classroom.

Through SHELL, Salem High School is deepening its commitment to personalized learning—creating an environment where students can ask questions, try new strategies, get feedback, and build confidence as learners. Whether students need extra help, enrichment opportunities, or a place to work and reflect, SHELL is designed to bring educators together and design a meaning learning environment that will meet students where they are and help them move forward.

In order to provide our whole school community an understanding of some of the great things happening at Salem High School we have created a podcast that we will be using to tell our story and more importantly let our students and educators shine!

Episode 1 - Sea Excursions:

Join Senior Rylan Workman as he takes us aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer for a two-week sailing expedition through Cape Cod Bay and the Gulf of Maine! In this pilot episode of the S.H.E.L.L. We Talk About It podcast, Rylan sits down with Science Instructional Coach Jackie Burns to discuss his adventures in the S.E.A. Expedition High School Program. They chat about life as a crew member, exploring the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and how this real-world journey connects to his science studies at Salem High School. Special Thanks: A huge thank you to the Norman H. Read Trust for generously funding the scholarship that made this experiential learning opportunity possible.

“BE ABOUT IT”

Live the values of our school community; show pride, respect, and responsibility not just by saying it, but by consistently doing it.
Follow through on commitments, whether that’s in academics, athletics, arts, or personal goals.
Model integrity by letting your behavior reflect your intentions—be the example others can count on.

“BE ABOUT IT” means don’t just talk about who you are or what you stand for, prove it every day through effort, character, and action.

Be About It!

#GoWitch

Retirement of Evelyn Oquendo’s #24 Jersey on January 23, 2026

The Salem High School Athletics Department is thrilled to announce the retirement of Evelyn Oquendo’s #24 jersey on January 23, 2026.

A stalwart as a Witches Basketball player in the 1980s, Oquendo was a two-time team captain and the starting point guard on the 1979-1980 undefeated Massachusetts Girls Basketball State Championship team. Oquendo was named to the 1982 Boston Globe Girls All-Scholastic Basketball Team and helped lead her team to the 1982 North Region Championship as well. She was inducted into the Salem High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.

Oquendo continued her basketball career at Salem State College (now Salem State University) where she was a 3X NCAA National Women's First Team All-American, 4X NCAA First Team All-New England, 4X MASCAC Player of the Year, and 4X MASCAC First Team All-American. She also served as a Captain during the Viking’s 1985-1986 season, spurring her team to victory in the NCAA Division 3 National Championship. Oquendo is the All-Time Leading Scorer for Salem State’s Girls Basketball program with 1,738 points, and was inducted into the Salem State College Hall of Fame in 1991. Her #24 jersey was also retired by Salem State in 2010.

Beyond her athletic career, Oquendo has spent the last twenty years teaching, coaching, and mentoring youth throughout Salem. She began her career in Salem Public Schools in 2004 and has served as a Physical Education Teacher at Collins Middle School since 2007. Oquendo also served as the Salem High School Girls Basketball Coach from 2017-2022, and has coordinated the expansion of the Collins Middle School Intramural and Extramural programs to include sports ranging from basketball to lacrosse and soccer to volleyball. Oquendo’s commitment to Salem students is unmatched and her legacy is cemented as an athlete, coach, and mentor within the walls of Salem Public Schools and beyond.

Please join us in the Veterans Memorial Field House at 5:30pm on January 23, 2026 as we celebrate Evelyn Oquendo, the first female athlete in Salem High School history to have her jersey retired.

Witches Knock off Swampscott from Unbeaten

Salem 59, Swampscott 39: The Witches (7-1) knocked the Big Blue (now 9-1) from the unbeaten ranked in a battle of two of the top ten ranked teams in all of Division 3. Senior Nate Lane scored 20 points and had seven steals and five assists to spark Salem while junior Elian Rodriguez scored 12 with eight rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Sean Murphy gave Salem a big lift off the bench with nine.

Shoutout to our student sections that is growing by the game and our incredible cheerleaders!

Salem News: https://www.salemnews.com/sports/fridays-area-roundup-djoko-sillars-help-danvers-get-two-momentous-hoop-wins/article_79869d0c-e282-4c26-b3d2-567cf2daef54.html

Catch the game on SATV and voices of our Witches.

January 19

APPLY NOW for SY26-27 (if you are new to Early College).

Spring 2026 classes start with the professor THIS week:

SSU-Tues Jan 20
NSCC-Wed Jan 21 (MDA107), Thurs Jan 22 (FFL100). On-campus starts Jan 21 or Feb 4.
You have until Monday, January 26 to make changes (add/drop) to your college courses. There will be no record of the course on your high school or college transcript if you drop it.

We will be distributing textbooks and materials this week during check ins.

On-Campus Seniors only, friendly reminder that there ARE college classes on

campus during February and April vacations. Spring break (no classes on campus) is March 16-20.

Click for:

Alexandra Kirby

Early College Coordinator

Where Will Your Road Take You

We are thrilled to begin another exciting year and to support every student in their journey to growth and success. Through our C3 College, Career, and Counseling Department, we encourage all students to Dare To Grow because your future knows no boundaries.

We are excited to share that our students have already started more than 200 college applications to schools across the country! You can view the interactive map here to see where students are applying: C3 College Application Map.

This information comes from Naviance, which students can access through ClassLink. Parents can also access their student’s information using their Naviance username and password.

If students or families need support accessing Naviance, please reach out to your student’s counselor for assistance.

C3 also has a number of upcoming workshops and post-secondary events to support your planning:

Senior Early Decision/Early Action Virtual Night – Tuesday, September 2nd (more information to follow the first days of school)

We encourage all students to take advantage of these opportunities, explore possibilities, and reach goals beyond what they thought possible.

Together, let’s make this a year of growth, exploration, and success.

Pick Your College

Deciding what colleges to add to your list? One great resource to examines what factors goes into your college choice is Big Future at https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search.

University of Arizona

Location: Tuscon, Arizona

Mascot:Wilbur & Wilma Wildcat

Enrollment: 45,000

Average GPA: 3.8 Weighted

Average SAT Score: 1200

Average ACT Score: 24

Admissions: https://www.arizona.edu/admissions

The University of Arizona is a top-tier public research university and a nationally recognized leader in innovation, student success, and research impact. Located in Tucson, UArizona is known for its strengths in science, engineering, health professions, business, astronomy, and interdisciplinary research. As Arizona’s flagship university, it combines rigorous academics with strong support systems, hands-on learning, and global research opportunities.

Colleges & Academic Programs

The University of Arizona offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through the following colleges and schools:

College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences
College of Applied Science & Technology
College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture
Eller College of Management
College of Education
College of Engineering
College of Fine Arts
College of Humanities
College of Medicine – Tucson
College of Medicine – Phoenix
College of Nursing
College of Optical Sciences
College of Public Health
College of Science
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
James E. Rogers College of Law
Graduate College

Areas of Academic Strength Include:

STEM fields and biomedical research
Engineering and applied sciences
Business, entrepreneurship, and finance (Eller College)
Health sciences and public health
Astronomy, optics, and space sciences
Undergraduate research and experiential learning
Strong first-year support and student success initiatives

Clubs & Student Organizations

The University of Arizona offers 600+ student organizations, including:

Academic and professional organizations
Cultural and identity-based groups
Service and leadership organizations
Greek life
Club sports and intramurals
Student government and campus engagement programs

Athletics

The University of Arizona competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Big 12 Conference.

Varsity Sports Include:

Football
Men’s & Women’s Basketball
Baseball & Softball
Soccer
Volleyball
Track & Field
Cross Country
Golf

Wildcat athletics are nationally recognized, particularly in basketball, and are a major part of campus tradition and school spirit.

Virtual Tour: https://www.arizona.edu/virtual-tour

Website: https://www.arizona.edu/

Park Ranger

Education Required

A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field is typically required.

Common majors include:

Civil Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Structural Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Construction Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering

Licensure Pathway:

Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam → Engineer-in-Training (EIT)
Gain 4 years of supervised experience
Pass the Professional Engineer (PE) exam (required for leadership, public-sector work, and signing off on projects)

Advanced Degrees (Optional):

M.S. or Ph.D. in Civil, Structural, Environmental, or Transportation Engineering can support advancement into:
- Senior engineering roles
- Specialized technical fields
- Research, academia, or policy positions

Typical Tasks Associated with This Career

Design, plan, and oversee construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, water systems, and airports
Prepare engineering drawings, specifications, and cost estimates
Conduct site inspections and analyze soil, materials, and environmental conditions
Use computer-aided design (CAD) and modeling software (e.g., AutoCAD, Civil 3D)
Ensure projects comply with safety codes, environmental regulations, and zoning laws
Manage construction timelines, budgets, and contractors
Analyze traffic patterns, drainage systems, and structural loads
Collaborate with architects, planners, surveyors, and government agencies
Review and approve project plans and technical reports
Address infrastructure challenges related to sustainability, climate resilience, and urban growth