Cougar News

Good Evening,

It was so nice to welcome students and families to our Open House this evening! We enjoyed seeing both returning families and those who are new to the ConVal community.

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to welcome you into our building so early in the school year and provide a chance to meet the teachers your child(ren) will be learning and growing alongside this semester. We know how important strong partnerships between home and school are, and we appreciate those coming that could join us. If you were unable to, or just have any questions following this evening, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to your child’s teacher.

Please be sure to read through the entire newsletter for helpful updates and reminders. Looking ahead to next week, we will host School Picture Day on Tuesday, September 15, throughout the school day. We will also welcome college admissions representatives from across New Hampshire to campus for a mini college fair for our students.

Have a wonderful weekend, and, as always, GO COUGARS!

Best,

Heather

Students will have their school ID photos taken on September 15, 2026. If you want to order prints, please click on this website www.geskusprint.com/login, then click on the orange "Place Your Order" button. On the next screen, you can create an account, log in with your existing account, or use your Google email account for verification. When you get to the order page, use NVE4Y8PR as the school identifying code. Please note that these pictures will be used for the student ID and the ConVal Yearbook, so dress appropriately.

ConVal's freshman class gathered in the Lucy Hurlin Theatre on Tuesday to learn more about the student voice organizations at ConVal, namely, Student Council and Student Government. They learned about the activities in which these student leadership organizations typically participate and how their planning will carry them from their freshman year through their senior trip. Candidate speeches and elections will be held on September 21.

More than a dozen clubs and co-curriculars set up tables on the apron in front of ConVal to meet students and invite them to join their programs. The event took place on Tuesday and served as a showcase for the opportunities that help students meet peers, build teamwork skills, and make close friends who share similar interests. Clubs also teach practical abilities like leadership, public speaking, and career preparation, like Educators Rising.

Students in Mr. Henzell's honors chemistry class recently worked through "The Alchemy Lab," where they turned a penny into a gold color and they had to determine whether the penny chemically changed into the element gold or not. The procedure had them walk through a process that coated the penny in zinc, which, when heated, creates the alloy brass, giving the penny a golden color. The focus of the experiment was to practice lab safety and the scientific method, but also to lead into upcoming discussions about density, physical and chemical properties and changes, and conservation of matter.

Students in Mr. Larocque's Engineering I class are working towards earning their OSHA 10 industry certification. Students are currently learning about safety issues related to ladders, stairs, and electricity.

Students in Mx. Hamilton's English class are practicing identifying sentence structure and parts of speech. In strengthening these skills, students will be able to form complex and compound sentences.

Students in Mr. Benham's Health & Wellness I class were invited to the library last week to learn about research strategies. Using the example of made-up information about a non-existent restaurant in Peterborough, the librarians, Mrs. Bowman and Mrs. Mudrick, explained how to verify AI overview results, which can be wrong or completely hallucinated." They recommended lateral reading, an evaluation strategy where you leave a website or source and open new browser tabs to investigate what other independent sources say about the author, the organization, or the claims that are made online. This is particularly important when researching matters of health and wellness, the librarians emphasized.

Math co-teachers extraordinaire Mr. Derby and Mr. Leonard bring humor and visual representations to their lessons on exponents. Through modeling, they are also helping students build and reinforce strong note-taking and organizational skills in their math notebooks.

Physics students built pendulums from fishing line and hex nuts to determine how the length of the pendulum's arm (the fishing line) and the mass of the bob (the hex nuts) affect how long it takes a pendulum to complete one complete back and forth swing. This type of motion is called periodic because the movement cycles repeatedly. This lab is the beginning of the sound and waves unit, when students will learn about the frequency and speed of sound.

Assistant Principal Erik Thibault visited Mrs. Rushford's American Economics and Government class to talk about the importance of getting involved in local government. "Local government is what affects you most," he stated. Thibault served on the ConVal School Board for several years while teaching math in Milford. He counted the approval of all-day Kindergarten and the 1:1 Chromebook initiative as the decisions he was most proud of during his tenure on the school board.

Come explore potential careers and maybe even get a part-time job! You'll meet different companies, organizations, and schools; discuss industry trends and explore products; practice interview skills and seek career advice; and more! Make sure you dress for success! The career expo is Thursday, October 15, at Milford High School, and the bus will leave ConVal at 8:45 am, returning at 11:30 am. Please fill out this form to sign up.

The ConVal High School Health Office recently conducted staff training on seizure recognition and diabetes response. The school nurses, Mrs. Haskell and Mrs. Hanley, led a one-hour workshop on these topics, which included how to provide help in emergencies and other best practices, such as positioning a student safely until help arrives. Teachers and staff also learned how medications can impact student learning, behavior, and attendance.

Join the ConVal school counselors for an informative presentation on the college application process, exploring college options, understanding financial aid, and more. Counselors will also be available before and after the session to answer your individual questions.

When: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Where: ConVal High School Library
Time: 6:00 –7:00 pm

The PSAT/NMSQT is a practice exam for the SAT, which all students take in the spring of their junior year. Sophomores and juniors are encouraged to participate as a way to strengthen their skills and prepare for the SAT. All Juniors will be taking the PSAT this year to prepare for the SAT in the Spring. There will be no cost for juniors to take the assessment this year. Sophomores have the option to sign up if they are interested. All students who receive a qualifying score may be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program and other scholarships. Interested sophomores can sign up in the school counseling office with Ms. Bull.

When: *Note change in dates*

Juniors - Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Sophomores - Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Where: ConVal High School

Cost: $18 dollars for Sophomores (cash or check made payable to ConVal High School).

Deadline to sign up: Friday, September 18, 2026

Reminder for all students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) classes this year!
If you plan to take an AP Exam in the Spring, you will be responsible for the exam fee. The cost is $99 per exam. If you are unable to pay the fee, please contact your school counselor.

Please note that taking the AP Exam is not required to pass your class. However, earning a qualifying score can provide college credit and strengthen your college applications.

Your AP teacher will provide a form for you to indicate whether you plan to take the exam. Submit completed forms and exam fees to Ms. Bull in the School Counseling Office. The due date for these forms and payment is Monday, October 26, 2026.

Join us for our NHCUC Mini College Fair! Multiple college admissions representatives from across New Hampshire will be present. Meet college admissions representatives who will be reviewing your application, ask questions, and get some college swag.

Where: ConVal High School - Cafeteria

When: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Time: 9:45 - 10:55 am

Colleges attending this year are: Colby-Sawyer College, New England College, Plymouth State University, Manchester Community College, New Hampshire Technical Institute, Rivier University, Southern New Hampshire University, Keene State College, Saint Anselm College, Franklin Pierce University, Nashua Community College, and the University of New Hampshire.

Granite Edvance will be available to answer questions about college planning, FAFSA help, and student loans. In addition, ReGen Valley Common Campus will be on hand. ReGen is a coordinating network that connects students and job seekers with training pathways in biofabrication and advanced manufacturing.

We have some exciting updates from our Fall sports teams!

Varsity Football finished their home opener last Friday, September 4, with a win vs St. Thomas Aquinas 33-31. Wetu Seldon, our senior running back, rushed for 228 yards and five touchdowns. The program record for rushing touchdowns in a single game, was held by the current head coach, Brad Davis, since 1998 and was broken by Seldon on this night. The team as a whole had a great performance.

Boys varsity soccer is currently on a winning streak, as they defeated both Oyster River, Manchester West and John Stark in the first week and a half of games!

Girls soccer walked away from their match on Friday, September 4, with a 6-1 victory over Manchester Memorial.

Coed Varsity Cross Country started their season by placing 11th at the John Stark Invitational.

Unified Soccer has their first game of the season at Hollis Brookline on Wednesday, September 16.

More friendly reminders:

• Please use our new website on Arbiter for the most up-to-date schedules: https://convalathletics.arbiterwebsites.com/

• We’re Hiring

• Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach

ConVal is participating in the 14th year of WMUR’s partnership with the New Hampshire Food Bank. We will be collecting food and cash donations for our local food pantry leading up to our October 9 Football game. We will be collecting food donations at the game as well! Get your whole school community involved—students, families, boosters, band members, cheerleaders, and more—to spread the word, set up a table and collection boxes on game day.

Athletics is looking for game coverage help this fall in the following areas: announcers, ticket booth, football chain gang, and scorekeeper/timers. These positions are compensated by ConVal Athletics. Please email abrewster@conval.edu with interest.

ConVal Boosters are looking for more volunteers to be team representatives to help out with fundraising, concessions and more. If you are interested, please reach out to fcvasecretary@gmail.com.

Fall play audition/sign up on Friday, September 11 - The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin. Please contact emoore@conval.edu with questions.

The German Club has officially started this week!

Art Club starts Monday, September 14, at 2:30 in Tebbs Room 410B. All students who want time in the studio with artsy peers are welcome - no commitment - we are a drop-in club that meets the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mondays of the month. See Tebbs with questions!

Are you interested in learning about other cultures and spreading awareness? Do you want to contribute to a safe space for all students? Then come check out Inclusivity Club on Mondays from 2:30-3:30 right after school in Mx. Hamilton's room (219).

Freshman and sophomore class elections are coming up! Freshmen can run for positions in both Student Government and Student Council. Sophomores have two open Student Council positions. Election forms are available on the bulletin board outside Room 112A. All forms, signatures, and speeches are due by Friday, September 18, to Ms. Montgomery. Freshmen will give their speeches live on Monday, September 21, in the LHT. Sophomore candidates will submit recorded speeches that will be presented on the 21st. Voting will open immediately following the speeches. If you're interested in running, make sure to pick up a form outside Room 112A or speak to Ms.Montgomery! Good luck, Cougars!

The Class of 2029 (sophomores) is seeking donations for their concession stand at the Homecoming Dance (9/26). The proceeds from the concessions help with Class of 2029 activities.

If you are able to donate an item, please sign up through this link and drop off your donation at the CV Main Office by 2:30 pm on Thursday, September 24.

Avenue A Fall 2026

MAXT Makerspace Fall 2026

📬 184 Hancock Road, Peterborough, NH 03458

📞 (603) 924-3869 📧 conval.highschool@conval.edu

🌐 cvhs.conval.edu

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