FRIDAY FOCUS

Postural Screening for 8th grade students will take place starting the week of March 16, 2026

Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. c.71, s57) require that all public school students in grades five through nine be screened annually for the early detection of spinal problems.

The purpose of this screening program is to identify possible curvature of the spine in children. The screening test is very simple and can be performed in less than one minute. The screening consists of observations of the student’s back when standing and bending forward and will be conducted by a registered nurse. You will be contacted if there is any reason that warrants follow up by your child’s health care provider.

Postural screening for eighth grade students will take place starting the week of March 16th. All students will be screened individually in a private setting in the health office. The entire back must be visible during the screening process. All students are asked to remove their shirts.

If you choose not to have your child participate in the Postural or SBIRT Screening Program, please email mrhs_nurse@monomoy.edu to opt your child out. If you choose to opt your child out of this screening, please ensure that a current physical with postural screening is on file in the nurse's office.

Please feel free to contact your school nurses with any questions about postural screening.

Healthy regards,

Cheryl Dufault BSN RN NCSN

Sara Sears BSN RN NCSN

(508) 430-7200 x3

Each month, the district features a staff member in our Staff Shoutout series. Staff members can be nominated by students, parents/caregivers, and colleagues for outstanding positive contributions to our schools at www.monomoy.edu/staffshoutout. Nominations for March are now open! Any staff members nominated previously can be nominated again, except for those already honored this year.

We’re excited to welcome the next class of Sharks! Monomoy has opened online registration for incoming Kindergarten students at Chatham Elementary School and Harwich Elementary School. All children residing in Chatham or Harwich who reach the age of 5 before September 1, 2026, are eligible for enrollment in Monomoy’s Kindergarten program for the 2026-2027 school year.

• To access the link to register, the list of needed documents, and other information, visit Monomoy’s Enrollment page.

• The necessary documents must be uploaded to the registration portal in order for the enrollment to be processed.

• Students should be registered by April 15, 2026, in order to be scheduled for a Kindergarten Screening appointment in May.

• Students who currently attend Monomoy’s preschool programs do not need to register for Kindergarten, as their enrollment will roll over.

• Families needing assistance with the online registration process, including translation support or access to technology, can contact Central Registrar Roberta Simmons at rsimmons@monomoy.edu or 857-777-5863 to schedule an in-person appointment.

Join us for our next Parent University session, focused on Elementary Literacy. This event is geared towards families of students from Kindergarten through grade 4, and will focus on tips and strategies for encouraging reading skills in our young learners, as well as the measures of progress used to monitor growth. We will also cover the supports available to students and families as a Title I district.

This Parent University will be held Monday, March 16, at 6 p.m. in the Monomoy Regional High School Library.

We hope to see you there!

Monomoy's multilingual families, staff, and community are invited to the next meeting of the Multilingual Parents Advisory Council meeting! Connect with other families, learn how to help support your student at school, and share your experiences, needs, and ideas. The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 6 p.m. in the Monomoy Regional High School cafeteria. All are welcome.

With the upcoming retirement of Superintendent Scott Carpenter from Monomoy Regional School District, a committee of volunteers has been planning events to recognize this milestone - all members of the school community are invited to participate. There is additional information on the website here, as well as links to tickets and RSVP.

Our district is a member of the Federation for Children with Special Needs and we have access to monthly workshops under an All-Access Pass. You can find the full calendar of events, as well as links to register, at https://fcsn.org/events/. You can register for multiple workshops at that link. Once registered, you will receive a link for the virtual session.

ONLINE TICKET SALES HAVE CLOSED!

But you can still get your tickets at the door. Cash or check (made out to: MRSD).

Enjoy the show!

The Rotary Club of Chatham awards a "Monomoy Student of the Month" at their meetings.

Congratulations to our Interact award winners this year!

• Annaleigh Massey (November)
• Rea Christakis (December)
• Thomas Chase (January)
• Ben Ottino (February)
• Ava Pina (March)

It has been an amazing few weeks at Monomoy Regional High School since Semester 2 began. In addition to the February vacation and the record-setting school closure blizzard, we have been on some exciting field trips!

The first was to Cape Cod Five. In early January, students from personal finance classes and members of the Y Achievers attended a conference at Cape Cod Five. The conference provided an overview of banking and the multiple career paths it offers. Students were treated to both breakfast and lunch, provided by Cape Cod Five.

In February, Cape Cod Five, once again, hosted MRHS students. Hannah Fogg planned a special day for students in our Finance Club, under the direction of Personal Finance teacher John Sumner. Monomoy Regional High School was the recipient of the Financial Education Innovation Fund grant, which enabled MRHS to expand its annual Credit for Life program, facilitated in partnership with Cape Cod Five. Both of these field trips were made possible by this grant.

On Wednesday, March 4, students attended the Annual Women and Girls Mentoring Breakfast, sponsored by the Mass Hire Cape & Islands Workforce Board. This amazing event was an opportunity to connect with strong women role models from across the Cape, including our state representative, Hadley Luddy. Students were inspired and uplifted by Rebekah Gregory, a survivor of the Boston Marathon attack, who shared her powerful story of resilience and hope. Her message encouraged us all to be bold in our vision and to “build confidence so that others can borrow courage” from our strength.

On March 5, students at MRHS hosted the event, Empty Bowls Full Hearts, to benefit the Family Table Collaborative. Under the direction of teachers Jeremiah Nickerson, Mike Newby, Fran Jorgensen (HES), Cara Kidd (CES), and Cheri Armstrong, the event raised $2750. The generosity of our sponsor, Cape Cod Five, as well as donations from Agway of Cape Cod, BJs Hyannis, Dunkin’ Harwich, Pain D’Avignon, Pelham on the Rise Bakery, and Sativa Gifts, ensured that 100% of the proceeds were donated to FTC. Delicious soups were provided by Family Table Collaborative and Short ‘n’ Sweet Ice Cream Chatham. Friendly Fowl, a band of MRHS alumni, provided amazing entertainment. We are so appreciative of the support of community members and organizations who attended this event.

The past two weeks in outdoor pursuits we have taken a step inside to work on some team challenges. We first began with the Poly Spot crossing. In this challenge the group needs to traverse the length of the gymnasium twice by using x-3 poly spots where x represents the number of students in the class. Should anyone touch the floor or speak during this challenge, the group restarts. The class was also generously given one hoola-hoop in the middle of the gym as a safe spot.

This challenge lead to minor frustration by the students initially, but once they came up with a process and stuck with it they were able to find success as a group.

Once the class finished the Poly-Spot Crossing we moved on to the harder Shipwreck activity. We moved into the hallway as the stage was set. Students needed to get from point A, four yoga mats, to point B, another four yoga mats 66 feet away. 23 feet away from the first set of mats was a scooter, rope, and 3 hoola-hoop safe zones. The only equipment they began with was a scooter. Again, students were not allowed to speak and if they touched the floor, the whole group had to restart. This activity led to a lot of frustration. It is time consuming and in order to be successful the team must work together even when it might only be one person physically doing something. The group failed many times even though they found a process that worked quite early. As time went on they began questioning if they were doing the right thing and if they should change their process. New leaders emerged and input came from new places to help keep them on course. Two days into the challenge we took a break to complete See-Say-Do, a different challenge that involves a little more communication and an emphasis on roles within a team. In See-Say-Do, one team knows the goal and can see everything but cannot speak, one team can speak, cannot see and does not know the goal, and one team is completely blind but must do the physical aspect. The goal of the task is to get all objects into a basket. See pictures below. I thought this would help them in their Shipwreck struggles to remind them they are capable of doing hard things and that everyone does in fact have a role on the team. They finished See-Say-Do, had some good reflection, and earned themselves 10 minutes of ultimate frisbee. Next class going back to Shipwreck they completed the challenge as a group in an efficient way as a team. See pictures at the end!

Teams have many different parts and are involved in almost every aspect of life. Typically there is a leader, coach, CEO, etc. Then Assistants, Captains, Mid-Level Managers, etc. Finally the workers, the rest of the players, etc. As we hear many times at school, “it takes a village.”

See-Say-Do shows us that it is not always that simple to get everyone on the same page. The Head Leader may be pointing to the right, the mid level manager may be saying right, but the workers might actually be going left. The message isn’t clear. People at each level may think they know the goal or they communicated well, but when they look up and down the line, they may find the message wasn’t received as they intended. The team could have picked the crate up and moved it with them while picking up the objects, but if no-one asks or tries, they would not know. In Jocko Willink’s book, Extreme Ownership,he talks of a training exercise (he is a Navy SEAL) where his whole team busted a wall down and then were all ready to fight in a crouched position. They stayed in this position for 10 minutes until finally someone picked their head up, looked up and down the line, and realized that everyone was doing the same thing and waiting for a command. One that was never coming. Focus is a good thing. Success is a good thing. Using proven ways of success is a good thing. But, trial and error can also lead to new innovation, new more successful ways, and new leaders.

The Shipwreck activity illustrates that not everyone on a team needs to be a leader to contribute. A couple times students who were not the initial crossers got onto the scooter to use the rope and immediately fell because they went too fast and were not paying attention to their peers. During Shipwreck everyone had a moment where the success of the whole group depended on the ability of one person to execute. In that moment that one person either becomes the MVP or the least favorite member of the group.

Whether we are at work, school, in class, on a team, whatever the scenario is in our own lives, I am willing to bet that we have moments everyday where it would benefit us to pick our head up and look around. We all have moments where we can be the MVP to our students, kids, co-workers, friends, etc. I encourage everyone to look for these moments and be the MVP!

Sincerely,

Coach Legg

Student volunteers are needed to help with Chatham Elementary's Book Fair event on Thursday, March 19, from 5-7 p.m. Volunteers would help with crowd control, book checkout, and general support. If you can help, email CES PTO President Jennifer Coffey at jennifer.coffey73@gmail.com.

Student volunteers needed to help run hands-on learning stations at the Monomoy Family S.T.E.A.M. Night on Wednesday March 25 at the Harwich Elementary School. All Harwich and Chatham families with children ages 3 - 6 (preschool and Kindergarten age) are invited to this no cost event. Set-up begins at 3:30pm, the event is 5 - 6:30 followed by clean up, ending around 7pm. Community Service hours certificates will be provided. Use this link to sign up.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

Early Bird Discount Extended

• The Early Bird ticket discount has been extended through March 7th

Last Day to Purchase Tickets

• The final day to purchase prom tickets is Friday, March 13th
• If your student is unsure whether they have already purchased a ticket, please encourage them to reach out so we can double-check. If finances, finding a date, or meeting the deadline are concerns, please connect with your student’s guidance counselor or Mrs. Oliver. We are happy to help

• If your student is bringing a guest who does not attend Monomoy, a guest permission slip must be submitted to the main office by Friday, March 13th.
• Copies are available from Mrs. Casey, the main office, and were shared with students.

• Table requests are due by Friday, March 27th.

• Song requests are also being collected — if your student has a must-play song, we encourage them to submit it!

Location: Wychmere Beach Club
Date: Friday, April 10th

Schedule for the evening:

• 5:00 PM – Student Arrival for Grand March

• 5:30 PM – Grand March Begins

• 6:30 PM – Dinner & Dancing

• Students are expected to be in school on Friday, April 10th, if they plan to attend prom. Students attending prom may be dismissed after the second block with permission. A dismissal permission slip will be shared soon. Please note that dismissal calls on the day of prom will not be accepted.
• We are looking forward to a beautiful and memorable evening for the Class of 2026. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We are excited to share some details about After Prom, which will take place immediately after prom at the Chatham Community Center. This event is a fun way to keep the night going with your classmates. There will be activities, food, prizes, and of course, your After Prom T-shirts!

Please take a few minutes to complete the After Prom T-shirt form by Tuesday, March 10, so we can ensure there are enough of each size.

If you are bringing a guest who is not a Monomoy student, please be sure to include your date/guest’s T-shirt size on the form as well.

You will also need to complete and return the After Prom permission slip. (These are attached below/posted in Google Classroom and available in the main office) This form must be signed by both you and a parent/guardian. If you are bringing a guest who is not a Monomoy student or part of the Class of 2026, they and their parent/guardian must also sign the form. The permission slip includes important information about arrival, departure, and contact information for the night.

We’re looking forward to a great night celebrating with all of you.

If you have any questions, please reach out.

Mrs. Oliver & Ms. Lee

We are looking forward to celebrating our Class of 2026 at their graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 6 at 6:00 PM on the MRHS Turf Field. We have included detailed information for our seniors and their families regarding end-of-year responsibilities, schedules, and graduation event details. Please review this important information and let us know if you have any questions.

The 2026 Senior Newsletter includes:

• Senior Obligations Checklist

• Graduation Ceremony Information

• Schedule of Upcoming Senior Events

• Senior Final Exam Schedule

Check out the MRHS Graduation website for this information and any updates as the end of the year approaches.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school with any questions. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2026!

• Go to YBpay.lifetouch.com
• Enter code 9900726
• Enter your student info

If you require financial assistance to purchase a yearbook please reach out to Mrs. Katie Francesconi at kfrancesconi@monomoy.edu

Learn more about the Monomoy SEPAC at https://www.monomoy.edu/parent-caregiver-resources/sepac

MRHS students are marked present or absent for each class. Students who exceed 10% absence in classes are at risk for losing credit in that class. For example, students may lose credit if they have:

• 5 absences in a term course
• 9 absences in a semester course
• 18 absences in a full-year course

• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th-grade test scores
• Chronically absent high school students had an average GPA of 2.8 vs. non-chronically absent classmates who had an average GPA of 3.5
• When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating

MRHS is on Instagram at @monomoyhighschool!

Dear Students and Parents/Guardians:

MRHS School Counseling Department will be hosting a live virtual event on Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 PM on:

Understanding Financial Aid Packages
Dr. Linda Dagradi, a MEFA Ambassador, will be the presenter. Both students and caregivers are encouraged to attend.

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/kym-zhcr-rax

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 218-460-1447‬ PIN: ‪427 521 691‬#

Students attending Cape Cod Community College
If you are planning on attending CCCC in the fall and participate in the free college programming, students must complete either the FAFSA or the MAFSA. https://capecod.edu/free/

Scholarships
As a reminder, seniors have access to Naviance which is where many local scholarships are posted.

• All seniors have an account and should check under the “Colleges,” then “Scholarship Search” tabs.
• Mrs. Casey can mail transcripts and letters of recommendation (with completed applications) to the scholarship organizations. Letters of recommendation are confidential and will not be given directly to the students. Please allow adequate time for items to be gathered and mailed as appropriate.
• 
  

Monomoy Dollars for Scholars - Deadline April 1, 2026
Monomoy Dollars for Scholars application is open and the deadline for completion is 6:00 PM on April 1.

Applications must be started by March 25, 2026. No exceptions.

A volunteer from MDFS will be in the guidance office on Wednesday, March 18 from 12pm-1pm to provide support to students. Please encourage your students to attend if they need assistance.

Cape Cod Association - Deadline April 1, 2026 https://capecodassoc.org/application/

https://www.capecodfoundation.org/financial-assistance-landing-page/

Additional Resources

• The Financial Aid 101 Presentation is posted on the MRHS Website. Please reference the video here for more information.
• MEFA has a broad range of financial aid information available on their website, as well as frequent webinars/virtual presentations in the evenings and on-demand. Click here to sign up for their newsletter.

Sincerely,

MRHS Guidance and School Counseling Department

Massachusetts had the highest scores nationwide for all 2025 AP testers!

Monomoy certainly contributed! For the Monomoy Regional High School 2025 graduating class, 72% of seniors took at least one AP Exam during high school, 43% of seniors scored a 3 or higher, and 29% of seniors took 5 or more AP exams during high school.

Here is some helpful information as we head into Exam season!

• Your Guide For Advanced Placement Exams: This is a great article from MEFA discussing the upcoming AP Exams and their benefits. The official schedule for 2026 exams should be in our next Friday Focus!

Register here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration

Monomoy students planning on attending CCCC - Placement Testing will be March 20 at MRHS.

Here is the link for work permits. The last step with the work permits is bringing the completed copy to the main office at the high school. Work Permits are needed between the ages of 14-17.

https://www.monomoy.edu/parent-caregiver-resources/work-permit-application

Audrey Brewer, Grade 8, abrewer@monomoy.edu

Lindsay Ginnetty, Instructional Leader, Grades 9-12 (last names A-F), lginnetty@monomoy.edu

Caitlyn Hall, Grades 9-12 (last names G-N), chall@monomoy.edu

Jonathan Bennett, Grades 9-12 (last names O-Z), jbennett@monomoy.edu

Follow us on Instagram: @MonomoyGuidance

Wishing you health and safety, The MRHS Counseling Team

The Monomoy Booster Club is hosting a Comedy Night Fundraiser to support our student-athletes! The event will be held Friday, March 20, 2026, at the Pelham House Resort. Find more information and get tickets at https://www.funny4funds.com/events/monomoy-booster-club-comedy-show-fundraiser/1636. We hope you can join us!

The Monomoy All Sports Booster Club now has an online merchandise store!

Grab spirit wear for the whole family and support our student-athletes at the same time.

Shop now: https://nausetscreenprinting.printavo.com/merch/monomoy-sharks/

Every purchase helps support all Monomoy sports programs - thank you for backing our Sharks!

Senior Parents! Are you looking for the perfect graduation gift for your senior? The Monomoy All Sports Booster Club is offering you the opportunity to purchase a brick with your student's name and Class of 2026 that will be installed around the concession area at the Monomoy Athletic Complex Turf.

The cost of the brick is $125.00 and can be paid via Venmo once you have placed your order. If you would like to place an order, please email Boosterclub@monomoy.edu with your order. Each brick is 4x8, has two lines of print (students name, up to 21 characters) with Class of 2026 as the second line.

The deadline to place your order is Friday, May 1, 2026.

Please see the attached flyer for more information. If you have any questions, please email Boosterclub@monomoy.edu

Thank you!

The Monomoy All Sports Booster Club

Follow us on Instagram for game results, scores, updates, and more!: @monomoyathletics

Join the Harwich Community Center for "Ask Gen Z" -- a live panel of teens and young adults (ages 13–25) on Thursday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. During the event, the panel will answer questions submitted by the community and spark some great conversations. If you would like to be on the panel for this event, sign up here.

Annual Service Academy Information Night on Friday, May 1st, 2026, from 6 to 8 pm at the Maritime Conference Center on the campus of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. They will have representatives from West Point, the Naval Academy, the US Air Force Academy, the US Merchant Marine Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, as well as Mass Maritime. Students and their families are welcome to attend—as well as counselors/teachers/school personnel who want to know more about the process! We do ask that folks pre-register for our planning purposes.

--Michael Jackman, District Director

Office of Congressman Bill Keating (MA-09)

To report your child's absence, tardy, or upcoming dismissal please use the following link:

https://mrhs.monomoy.edu/attendance

Did you know? Past issues of the Friday Focus can be found on our website:

https://mrhs.monomoy.edu/news/friday-focus

Monomoy Regional High School operations and activities are guided by Monomoy Regional School District policies and school-specific procedures. The MRHS Handbook is a resource for families and students, providing information and guidelines for a variety of topics. If you have additional questions not covered here, contact MRHS at (508) 430-7200.

https://mrhs.monomoy.edu/parent-caregiver-resources/school-handbook

Did you know that you can use tools right in your web browser to translate any website you are visiting?

• The Monomoy website has translation tools accessible by clicking the button at the upper left corner of the site.

• When visiting any website, you can set your browser to translate the content.

• Aspen is our Student Information System, where you can see your student’s grades and other important information. Aspen allows users to change the default language from English to Haitian Creole, Spanish, or Portuguese. If you need translation to another language, you can use your browser settings to do so.

• We have shared details and instructions on our website for how to adjust these settings.

• You can find more information on our website about other translation tools we have available in our schools.

If you have problems using any of these tools, please email webmaster@monomoy.edu.

Email: mrhs@monomoy.edu
Website: mrhs.monomoy.edu
Location: 75 Oak Street, Harwich, MA, USA
Phone: 508-430-7200

MRSD Latest News/Updates: https://www.monomoy.edu/our-district/latest-news

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monomoyschools

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monomoyregion

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@monomoyschools

Official Monomoy Regional SD App: Download from App Store or Google Play