By Dorothy England
Our school isn’t quite known as being diverse, but one thing that can differentiate people other than their personality at our school is their style, or their attempt at a style. But how many people actually plan ahead what they’re going to wear for the next day and how many people just grab whatever’s clean and matches? In a recent poll of 25 people, 15 people said they don’t plan ahead, 7 people said they do plan ahead and 3 people sometimes they do and other times they don't. When asked, Sam Helrich admitted that sometimes he goes to school in what he slept in the previous night. One staff member who wished to remain anonymous said that she probably should put more effort into her style, but usually she goes with whatever’s clean. Some people only plan ahead when they know there’s going to be a special event going on. Josie Therrien said that’s what she does, dressing up for special days, like picture day. Other people like Sarah Metcalf said it depends how awake she is in the morning for how dressed up she gets. But whether it’s pre-prepared or just thrown on in an attempt to look presentable, it’s still a style and a trait that adds to each and every one of us. After all, most of us buy our own clothes, so in a way; we've already planned ahead.
Showing posts with label HMHS news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HMHS news. Show all posts
Help Light Up Marklin Candle Sales for a Good Cause by Kyle Hatch
Mrs. Backman’s small business class is helping Martin Marklin, who is the owner of the local candle company Marklin Candle, design candles for the holiday season. Mr. Marklin creates one of a kind, hand-crafted beeswax candles. His most loyal customers are churches (he has even sold candles to the pope!), but now he wants to get his fellow community involved. Marklin’s idea is to help needy students in Hopkinton with items that they normally wouldn’t be able to afford with the proceeds from this project. This idea has been lingering in the entrepreneur’s head for months now, but he needed a group of students to help out. The group ended up being our high school’s small business class, taught by Mrs. Backman. The student’s duties are designing holiday candles, choosing a selling price and advertising the products. The only thing that Mr. Marklin is responsible for is making the student’s designs come to life. There have already been many prototypes and drafts of each candle. Two designs have already become official; the first, a candle with primarily red candy canes wrapped around the circumference of the candle. The other design is a green textured tree design with silver stars wrapped around the candle. Each candle will burn an estimated 105 hours. The candles will hit the shelves soon at Marklin Candle, so why not help out your fellow classmates and purchase a student designed, handcrafted beeswax candle? They make a great gift for Mom, Grandma or the special person in your life.
As you may know, the past small business projects were much more simple than this years candle theme. In the past the class has sold a variety of items, from duct tape flowers and wallets to slushies. This year the class gets to create something that has an actual demand on the market. Instead of learning business terms and ideas from a textbook, we get to learn them in sequence to this project. We have learned a giant mass of business vocabulary that, if learned in class, would take a month to learn. It is much more interesting and easier to learn that way than studying meaningless vocabulary definitions for a possible pop quiz; in small business working with Mr. Marklin, if you don’t understand the vocabulary you won’t understand how the candle business is run, so learning the material is much more essential.
As you may know, the past small business projects were much more simple than this years candle theme. In the past the class has sold a variety of items, from duct tape flowers and wallets to slushies. This year the class gets to create something that has an actual demand on the market. Instead of learning business terms and ideas from a textbook, we get to learn them in sequence to this project. We have learned a giant mass of business vocabulary that, if learned in class, would take a month to learn. It is much more interesting and easier to learn that way than studying meaningless vocabulary definitions for a possible pop quiz; in small business working with Mr. Marklin, if you don’t understand the vocabulary you won’t understand how the candle business is run, so learning the material is much more essential.
Teachers Taking The Fall For Safety Net
by: Will Hastings
The recent emergency school board meeting concerning the teachers contract has raised a lot of questions concerning the make up and workings of the proposed contract.
In proposed two year contract teachers would have seen no pay increases the first year. In the second year there were three possibilities of pay increase. Longevity is the first possible option, for teachers who had reached their maximum step, meaning that they cannot advance further with continuing their education or with pay increases. They would have been rewarded with a one-time cost of living adjustment. The second option is to move up in step, which essentially represents a pay increase. The third option is if a teacher did not get a positive increase from either of the previous options they would have received a one time cost of living adjustment of around five hundred dollars.
Additionally teachers would have had the option to take either continuing education classes or use one thousand dollars (about the cost of a class at UNH) that is already set aside in a fund and use it to purchase a laptop. Mrs. Charron, a special education teacher at Hopkinton as well as a member of the contract negotiation team, said, “The idea behind this is to help get laptops into the hands of all teachers.” This is important in a world where technology is increasingly used in classroom education.
In order to become eligible the teachers would have been selected in a lottery system and only a certain amount of teachers would be able to access these funds each year. In addition they needed be able to show how they will use it to further their teaching and classroom experiences.
The laptops would have remained the property of the school district for three years, and after that the computers would have became the teacher’s property. It is not clear if programs downloaded onto the computers would remain on the computers, if the teachers were to leave the district.
The contract stated that if teachers do not call in sick during the school year they would receive a check equivalent to 2½ days pay. This would have worked out to being cheaper than the cost of paying a substitute teacher to come in for the same amount of time.
Had this contract been passed it would have caused about a 21-cent increase per one thousand dollars in taxes. This would have been the “smallest tax increase in a long time,” according to Mrs. Charron.
Mrs. Charron as well as many of her fellow co-workers believed that the article published in the Concord Monitor may have led to the confusion of many voters at the meeting. As well, an un-clear understanding of the Evergreen law may have had its own negative effects. The Evergreen Law is a state law, which states the unions working without a contact will follow the same conditions as their previous contract if it was established before 2008. “Many voters may have had the idea that, if there is no contract then there are no bonus, this is simply not true,” said Charron. Some voters feel that “Evergreen is taking away the towns right to local government”.
Having an outdated contract dissuades teachers from remaining in the district as well as scares new teachers from coming to work in the district.
“It’s hard to listen to how people think teachers are being greedy and selfish,” said Charron, “but many of the teachers affected live in Hopkinton and pay the same taxes as the voters.”
The recent emergency school board meeting concerning the teachers contract has raised a lot of questions concerning the make up and workings of the proposed contract.
In proposed two year contract teachers would have seen no pay increases the first year. In the second year there were three possibilities of pay increase. Longevity is the first possible option, for teachers who had reached their maximum step, meaning that they cannot advance further with continuing their education or with pay increases. They would have been rewarded with a one-time cost of living adjustment. The second option is to move up in step, which essentially represents a pay increase. The third option is if a teacher did not get a positive increase from either of the previous options they would have received a one time cost of living adjustment of around five hundred dollars.
Additionally teachers would have had the option to take either continuing education classes or use one thousand dollars (about the cost of a class at UNH) that is already set aside in a fund and use it to purchase a laptop. Mrs. Charron, a special education teacher at Hopkinton as well as a member of the contract negotiation team, said, “The idea behind this is to help get laptops into the hands of all teachers.” This is important in a world where technology is increasingly used in classroom education.
In order to become eligible the teachers would have been selected in a lottery system and only a certain amount of teachers would be able to access these funds each year. In addition they needed be able to show how they will use it to further their teaching and classroom experiences.
The laptops would have remained the property of the school district for three years, and after that the computers would have became the teacher’s property. It is not clear if programs downloaded onto the computers would remain on the computers, if the teachers were to leave the district.
The contract stated that if teachers do not call in sick during the school year they would receive a check equivalent to 2½ days pay. This would have worked out to being cheaper than the cost of paying a substitute teacher to come in for the same amount of time.
Had this contract been passed it would have caused about a 21-cent increase per one thousand dollars in taxes. This would have been the “smallest tax increase in a long time,” according to Mrs. Charron.
Mrs. Charron as well as many of her fellow co-workers believed that the article published in the Concord Monitor may have led to the confusion of many voters at the meeting. As well, an un-clear understanding of the Evergreen law may have had its own negative effects. The Evergreen Law is a state law, which states the unions working without a contact will follow the same conditions as their previous contract if it was established before 2008. “Many voters may have had the idea that, if there is no contract then there are no bonus, this is simply not true,” said Charron. Some voters feel that “Evergreen is taking away the towns right to local government”.
Having an outdated contract dissuades teachers from remaining in the district as well as scares new teachers from coming to work in the district.
“It’s hard to listen to how people think teachers are being greedy and selfish,” said Charron, “but many of the teachers affected live in Hopkinton and pay the same taxes as the voters.”
Hypocrisy in Hopkinton
“Wikipedia is not a valid source,” is a constant refrain from the Hopkinton High School’s English department. The site maintainers of Wikipedia know this, too. There is a disclaimer stating that, “Wikipedia cannot guarantee the validity of the information found here.” People can log into the site and change the information, either because they think the new information is right, or because they want to mess with the site’s readers. It is perfectly understandable that teachers don’t want students using the site for research papers.
But if the school doesn’t want students to use Wikipedia, then they should not use it either. On page 27 of the school’s handbook, there is a cover letter that introduces the student and parent section, where the school’s theme is described. The passage goes as follows: “This year our school theme will be “Discovery!” According to the website Wikipedia, discovery refers to exploring something new…” If students are not allowed to use and cite this website, the school should not do it. The school is promoting the use of the website in public works by showing that they use it to. Students could try to use the school’s documented use of Wikipedia as a reason or excuse for using the website in research papers. Hypocrisy is never a good thing, and to find it in a school system makes the rest of the rules of the school less valid.
Homecoming Bonfire: Now a Place for Non-athletes
by Carolyn Maynard
In previous years, the traditional bonfire portion of the homecoming activities was after the parade, and before the spaghetti dinner for the sports teams. This year, there was a change in the schedule. The bonfire and the dinner were at the same time.
Athletic director Mr. Meserve used to announce the sports teams and their members in front of the bonfire to the rest of the attendees. Since the dinner was at the same time, that didn’t happen this year. “Student council and Mr. Meserve felt that announcing the names again was repetitive since we did it at the pep rally that day,” said student council co-president Katie Babson.
The switching of the homecoming schedule made it difficult for students on sports teams to go to the bonfire. By the time most people were finished eating spaghetti, the bonfire was completely burned out. This didn’t faze some athletes. Cross country’s Ali Grise mentioned, “I might have stayed at the bonfire for a while if it had been there after the dinner, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. Usually it’s so cold and you don’t want to be outside waiting for food.” Most of homecoming is focused on the sports teams, so the bonfire has turned into a good place for students who aren’t on teams to have their own part of the celebrations.
Goal Setting and Responsibility
by Kayti Komisarek
“We can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world – and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put it to hard work it takes to succeed. That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.” This is a paragraph from the speech Obama gave Tuesday September 8th, 2009 at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, directed to all students, from kindergarten to 12th grade. Obama’s speech was about goal setting, responsibility and staying in school, because if you don’t stay in school, you are giving up on your dreams and your future. Obama’s speech was very influential and he made a lot of good points. Goal setting can be very important and benefit everyone. Completing your goals and staying on task can help build responsibility.
No one should ever give up on a hopes or dreams, no one should ever quit school. You may think you have a tough life, and have so many decisions to make, but there will always be someone with more troubles then you. Setting a goal can help you stay on task and make good decisions, even if it is a small goal. Say you set a goal for this school year, like to never get any lower then a C+ in all of your classes. That is a goal that can keep you on track, so when all of your friends ask you to go out to the movies or the mall, you would choose to stay home and do your homework first, because staying committed to a goal is important. At the end of the year when you look at your grades you will feel good about yourself because you stayed committed to that goal. It is also nice to have motivational people around you. You never know what you are capable of until you try and you want to learn from your teachers and parents and possibly other students around you who may know more then you.
“The is being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject that you study. You won’t click with every teacher that you have. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. J.K. Rowling’s – who wrote Harry Potter – her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team. He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”’ Obama brought this up because it is true; these people are famous and successful because they never took no for an answer. They believe in themselves. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean that you never will. If you are having trouble there will always be someone there that is more then willing to help you, whether it is a best friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, parent, aunt or uncle, guidance counselor, anyone who truly cares about you and wants to see you succeed will be there. Remember you are the future of America and how you learn will affect the country one day.
College Countdown
by Colleen Britain
The beginning of the year can be a very ominous time for all seniors. Applying to college, deciding where to go, and figuring out what to study are only a few of the decisions that a high school senior faces. These daunting tasks don’t have to stress the seniors out as much as they think. If taken one step at a time, the process will not seem as overwhelming.
The college process should start as early as freshmen and sophomore year, but at that point no one can know where they want to go, or what they want to do. In these first two years of high school keeping your grades up is the most important thing. Many freshmen aren’t thinking about college this early, so the thought of preparing for it seems ridiculous. The truth is, though, colleges see your grades from all four years of your high school career. The actions taken the first two years will affect college decisions.
Mr. Fox, who doubles as a guidance counselor and the college go-to-guy, says that you should really start thinking about college January of the junior year. At this time the student should start thinking about many different decisions, such as what to study, size and location of the college, and how far away from home that you want to go. All of these thoughts are vital to selecting the perfect college.
Once a list of schools has been made (done in the spring of junior year), the college visits start. Over the summer between junior and senior year is the perfect opportunity to visit these colleges. When at the visits, ask questions and engage with the staff at the colleges. At most colleges there is a specific admissions counselor assigned to our area of the country; get to know these people because they are usually the ones who read your application and decide whether or not to admit you. If they have a friendly face to associate with your name, it can help.
Once you have been accepted, Mr. Fox wants you to tell him, and “watch me do the dance of acceptance.” The most common problem with accepted seniors is "senioritis", or lack of trying in school. It is important that this does not happen! Many seniors do not realize that colleges can revoke their acceptance, leaving you scrambling. Most importantly, celebrate. The beginning of the year can be so stressful, so make up for it and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
The beginning of the year can be a very ominous time for all seniors. Applying to college, deciding where to go, and figuring out what to study are only a few of the decisions that a high school senior faces. These daunting tasks don’t have to stress the seniors out as much as they think. If taken one step at a time, the process will not seem as overwhelming.
The college process should start as early as freshmen and sophomore year, but at that point no one can know where they want to go, or what they want to do. In these first two years of high school keeping your grades up is the most important thing. Many freshmen aren’t thinking about college this early, so the thought of preparing for it seems ridiculous. The truth is, though, colleges see your grades from all four years of your high school career. The actions taken the first two years will affect college decisions.
Mr. Fox, who doubles as a guidance counselor and the college go-to-guy, says that you should really start thinking about college January of the junior year. At this time the student should start thinking about many different decisions, such as what to study, size and location of the college, and how far away from home that you want to go. All of these thoughts are vital to selecting the perfect college.
Once a list of schools has been made (done in the spring of junior year), the college visits start. Over the summer between junior and senior year is the perfect opportunity to visit these colleges. When at the visits, ask questions and engage with the staff at the colleges. At most colleges there is a specific admissions counselor assigned to our area of the country; get to know these people because they are usually the ones who read your application and decide whether or not to admit you. If they have a friendly face to associate with your name, it can help.
Once you have been accepted, Mr. Fox wants you to tell him, and “watch me do the dance of acceptance.” The most common problem with accepted seniors is "senioritis", or lack of trying in school. It is important that this does not happen! Many seniors do not realize that colleges can revoke their acceptance, leaving you scrambling. Most importantly, celebrate. The beginning of the year can be so stressful, so make up for it and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
Sie sprechen Deutsch?
By Dorothy England
This past month, Hopkinton High School was very privileged to welcome 15 German exchange students. Not only did they visit our school, they also went to Boston, where they saw a buffalo farm, and Maine where they experienced the White Mountains. Their favorite place though was Manhattan, New York City because it was exciting.
They said they really appreciated Hopkinton for people's genuinely kind and open-minded attitude they received and all but one wished to stay longer. They thought Hopkinton was awesome, even though they thought Hopkinton was too small (probably after seeing NYC) and the school hours were too long.
They were especially surprised at the freedom of selection students had in their choice of classes. Back home in Germany, they are only allowed to choose a language but the rest of their classes are required. As for languages, most of them, if not all know at least three languages; some even know four. These languages include German, English, French and Latin. An additional language they admitted to is a non-spoken, verbal language consisting of hand motions that they use in class when they don’t want their teacher to notice.
Another difference between our schools is while our school offers a vast amount of sports to participate in, German sports are separate from their schools. They were intrigued by our school spirit, which includes consisting of purple headbands and/or flannel shirts.
Lastly, you may be wondering what America's greatest influence is on Germany; it is not in fact the food (which they consider unhealthy), but instead, our music including rap and hip-hop.
It was awesome having them here and we were as they were sad to see them go. But as the Germans say, ‘auf wiedersehen!’
They said they really appreciated Hopkinton for people's genuinely kind and open-minded attitude they received and all but one wished to stay longer. They thought Hopkinton was awesome, even though they thought Hopkinton was too small (probably after seeing NYC) and the school hours were too long.
They were especially surprised at the freedom of selection students had in their choice of classes. Back home in Germany, they are only allowed to choose a language but the rest of their classes are required. As for languages, most of them, if not all know at least three languages; some even know four. These languages include German, English, French and Latin. An additional language they admitted to is a non-spoken, verbal language consisting of hand motions that they use in class when they don’t want their teacher to notice.
Another difference between our schools is while our school offers a vast amount of sports to participate in, German sports are separate from their schools. They were intrigued by our school spirit, which includes consisting of purple headbands and/or flannel shirts.
Lastly, you may be wondering what America's greatest influence is on Germany; it is not in fact the food (which they consider unhealthy), but instead, our music including rap and hip-hop.
It was awesome having them here and we were as they were sad to see them go. But as the Germans say, ‘auf wiedersehen!’
Getting to Know Mr. Sousa
by Will Hastings
Welcome back students of Hopkinton High School. The new school year in Hopkinton begins with an assortment of new staff, among them a new Principal. Mr. Chris Sousa was chosen from three other finalists for the position.
Originally a business major interested in advertising, Mr. Sousa started substitute teaching on the side to earn money. It was then when he discovered that he liked working with children, so with the encouragement of an aunt in the education field, he attended Plymouth State University and received his teacher’s certificate.
Mr. Sousa’s teaching experiences are rather extensive and well rounded. He began teaching business in Rhode Island. After that he moved to Procter High School in Vermont to be principal, from there he went to be principal at Hampton Middle School. For Mr. Sousa the idea that he could "affect students in a positive way felt really great.” Aside from school work, Mr. Sousa enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and camping. He also enjoys trying his hand at guitar as well as cooking. Family is a huge part of his daily life; his children are truly his pride and joy.
Sousa’s passion for teaching seems to have no bounds. “If I had one million dollars and could do any job I wanted, I would have chosen to be a teacher.” he says. Hopkinton welcomes you Mr. Sousa, and wishes you the best of luck.
Welcome Mrs. Lulka!
by Anastasia Anderson and Shannah Kimball
Mrs. Lulka is a new math teacher at Hopkinton High school. She teaches grade nine through twelve. Lulka grew up in Mass, but she has also lived in New York City, and near the Grand Canyon. She has taught in the Bow, Manchester and Concord schools.
There are many reasons for her love of math, one of them being that all her grandparents were immigrants who came over to America with no money. Her mom, her dad and all her uncles had really good math teachers throughout school and went to college on scholarships. Now they all have great jobs as engineers and computer programmers. Another reason she got into teaching math is she enjoys finding patterns in things and math deals with a lot of different patterns.
Mrs. Lulka is a new math teacher at Hopkinton High school. She teaches grade nine through twelve. Lulka grew up in Mass, but she has also lived in New York City, and near the Grand Canyon. She has taught in the Bow, Manchester and Concord schools.
There are many reasons for her love of math, one of them being that all her grandparents were immigrants who came over to America with no money. Her mom, her dad and all her uncles had really good math teachers throughout school and went to college on scholarships. Now they all have great jobs as engineers and computer programmers. Another reason she got into teaching math is she enjoys finding patterns in things and math deals with a lot of different patterns.
So far, she likes Hopkinton as a community because she has more of an opportunity to get to know every student individually. She hopes to stay in Hopkinton as long as she can. "I have made good friends with all the teachers in the math department and the staff at the school and in all my classes. The students are great."
Hawk Art
by Colin Amoth
So far in the year, according to Mr. Kociuba, the arts department at Hopkinton Middle
High school has been going very well. With 11 classes, not including all the numerous photolabs, it’s easy to see that many students understand the importance that the arts has for their education.
Among these students is Danielle Gonzales. Danielle is one of the students who is taking a fine arts independent study under Mr. Kociuba. When I first talked to Danielle, she was shading in a quite remarkably good charcoal of R2D2. When asked why she was doing fine arts for an independent study she simply replied that she wanted to create a personal portfolio of her work for later in life, maybe even for college.
Even this early in the year we are seeing that students are producing some amazing pieces in all the arts. One example is this photograph, taken by Ian Hancock. This photo was taken on his own time even before he began his photo 2 class.
Cellphone Usage in School
by Katy White
According to the telephone use policy in the HHS student handbook, cell phone use in the school is prohibited in any location other than the office. However, when high school students were asked if they used their cell phones in school, the majority answered “Sometimes” and “Yes.”
Even though our school does not permit cell phone usage during school hours, kids still text during class. However, they are not necessarily texting other kids in other classes. Sometimes kids text their parents about after school plans, or their parents text them first.
Still No Rapids for Ducks
by Jake Lessels
Once again, two-thousand rubber ducks will be swimming in kiddie pools during homecoming. For the second year in a row, the Con-Ducky Derby will not be held in the Contoocook River. The ducks will be floating in plastic kiddie pools at the high school on October 3.
“The water conditions weren’t safe,” said the Booster club’s co-president Margaret Cook. When the ducks would float down the river, over the dam and under the covered bridge, somebody had to catch them, and for the past couple years that job has gone to the varsity soccer players.
The derby is the major funding source the Booster Club has that benefits all the athletic teams according to Cook. Those goodie bags of candy given to teams at the end of every sports season are from the Booster Club. Money from the Booster club provides championship winning teams with their commemorative clothing and celebration cake and balloons. The spaghetti dinner is also put on by the Booster club.
Ducks may be purchased from all members of the fall sports teams. The prices are three dollars for one duck and ten dollars for five ducks. The ducks will be drawn at every half-time of all the games and during the cross-country meet. The prizes consist of $700 worth of fun prizes, including Margarita’s gift cards and Dick’s Sporting Goods gift cards. Prizes can reach up to $50 in value. Come out to see all your favorite Hawks teams beat Hillsboro-Deering and buy some ducks!
Girls Just Wanna Have...Football?
by Dorothy England
Breanna Ostrander, grade 10, may be setting the record as the first ever female to join the Redhawks, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less excited. When asked what influenced her to join, she had no problem saying since there were no girls, there was a need for diversity. Also, she wanted to prove that girls can play. Although she admitted that yes, there are some difficulties and it is harder th
an she thought it would be, for her, it’s a good challenge and she likes working towards it.
Another challenge one might assume is the attitude the males may have, but Bre confirmed that the guys are nice, and the coaches treat her no differently than the guys are treated. Her friends and family support her decision as well, often asking how it’s going. Bre was quite excited to mention that her father, in particular, is very proud. She plays both offensive and defensive tackle and isn’t afraid to defend for her team. She’s really having a lot of fun when she concludes that it’s been a great season so far, and that the team works really well together.
Picture
submitted
by Bre
herself.
Breanna Ostrander, grade 10, may be setting the record as the first ever female to join the Redhawks, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less excited. When asked what influenced her to join, she had no problem saying since there were no girls, there was a need for diversity. Also, she wanted to prove that girls can play. Although she admitted that yes, there are some difficulties and it is harder th
an she thought it would be, for her, it’s a good challenge and she likes working towards it.Another challenge one might assume is the attitude the males may have, but Bre confirmed that the guys are nice, and the coaches treat her no differently than the guys are treated. Her friends and family support her decision as well, often asking how it’s going. Bre was quite excited to mention that her father, in particular, is very proud. She plays both offensive and defensive tackle and isn’t afraid to defend for her team. She’s really having a lot of fun when she concludes that it’s been a great season so far, and that the team works really well together.
Picture
submitted
by Bre
herself.
Redhawks Start with a Swift Victory
by Dorothy England
The Redhawks football team is a fairly new addition to both Hopkinton's and Hillsborough’s high schools. Combined, there are 44 members who practice in the privacy of Elm Brook Park for three to three and a half hours, for five days a week, where water breaks are their only relief. Their practices have paid off though, as they won their first Varsity game against Mascenic, 16 to 8.
With roughly sixteen hours a week of practice, it’s tough to imagine how any of the members can fit in their homework, but when asked, no one said it was an issue. Instead, members agreed it was an awesome experience and really well run. Blake Keniston, grade 10, encourages ‘anyone to try it’ and Bryce Sorel, grade 9, seconds that, mentioning that ‘anyone can join as long as they’re serious.’ Working with Hillsborough is also nice, because there are new people to meet. In addition, the tough, but firm coaches have a powerful impact on the team as well.
Combining their two schools as a team isn’t the only thing Hopkinton and Hillsborough joined together. Their name, Redhawks, is derived from each school’s spirit: red symbolizes Hillsborough’s school color and Hawks are Hopkinton’s school mascot. Combined, the teams works hard and devoted. The only real challenging task are the drills, especially running fully padded form one side to another. However, as James Herrmann, grade 12, says, ‘it’s difficult, but worth it.’
The Redhawks football team is a fairly new addition to both Hopkinton's and Hillsborough’s high schools. Combined, there are 44 members who practice in the privacy of Elm Brook Park for three to three and a half hours, for five days a week, where water breaks are their only relief. Their practices have paid off though, as they won their first Varsity game against Mascenic, 16 to 8.
With roughly sixteen hours a week of practice, it’s tough to imagine how any of the members can fit in their homework, but when asked, no one said it was an issue. Instead, members agreed it was an awesome experience and really well run. Blake Keniston, grade 10, encourages ‘anyone to try it’ and Bryce Sorel, grade 9, seconds that, mentioning that ‘anyone can join as long as they’re serious.’ Working with Hillsborough is also nice, because there are new people to meet. In addition, the tough, but firm coaches have a powerful impact on the team as well.
Combining their two schools as a team isn’t the only thing Hopkinton and Hillsborough joined together. Their name, Redhawks, is derived from each school’s spirit: red symbolizes Hillsborough’s school color and Hawks are Hopkinton’s school mascot. Combined, the teams works hard and devoted. The only real challenging task are the drills, especially running fully padded form one side to another. However, as James Herrmann, grade 12, says, ‘it’s difficult, but worth it.’
Cultural Collision
by Carolyn Maynard
Every year, three to four students from countries around the world attend Hopkinton High School for the school year. They stay with host families, take classes and play sports. Through all of their activities, they learn about American culture. This year, one of the four exchange students is Roxana Stefan from Romania.
Roxana decided to come to another country to learn about culture and to meet different people. “I am really grateful to be here and experience anything new that is educating,” she said. The application process to become an exchange student wasn’t difficult. It took about two weeks for Roxana to fill out her application. Once she was accepted into the program, there were three Rotary meetings where all of the Romanian exchange students met one another. They each were able to pick the country where they wanted to live, but not the area within the country. The area isn’t what matters to Roxana, though. “For me, it is more important meeting people. I will go on many trips with Rotary Club so I have the opportunity to visit parts of America.”
While there are many cultural differences between the countries, one of the biggest contrasts is in the school systems. School in the U.S. starts at 8 am and ends at 3 pm, with a lunch break in the middle. School in Romania starts at 12 noon and ends at 7 pm or 8 pm. Classes in Romania are much shorter than those at Hopkinton High School, and are also taught differently. About the teaching styles, Roxana said, “I like the way the teachers here approach their students.”
Throughout the course of the year, Roxana will rotate host families, take new classes, and play new sports. Hopefully the rest of her year will be just as good as the first month.
Fall Sports Preview: Varsity and JV Field Hockey
by Colleen Britain
Is this going to be the year that the Field Hockey makes it to the finals? The last three seasons have started with hopes of making it all the way, but for the last three years that hope has ended in the “Final Four” round. This year the question has intensified due to the loss of seven seniors, five of whom were starters. This year the team has gained ten freshmen, including two girls who have never played before.
When asked how the team looks this year, varsity Coach Connolly said, “I am very pleased with how quickly the team is coming together this year. As always it is hard losing the seniors from the previous season but there are certain players who have really stepped up to the plate.” Already the team has a winning record, with five wins and three loses. If this is any indication of how the rest of the year is going to go, this could finally be the year the team makes the finals.
Back to School Club Feature
by Cristina White
Interact
Community service is what Interact is all about. Interact is a club run by Madame Harb,which meets every other Thursday at 7:15am. Senior Emma Brown said, "Any of the service projects that we do are available to everyone, with the exception of going to Honduras." The trip to Honduras is strictly for the members who have been on Interact for 2+ years. "In order to retain your status as a member, you are required to participate in at least three of the projects we do every year," says Brown. Recycling is the most important project. Members come in on the designated morning and recycle all of the paper items in the classrooms. If you believe you are a person who enjoys helping others through Community service projects, join Interact.
Drama Club
Everyone has their choice of extracurricular activities after school, whether its going to soccer, putting on some ballet shoes, or going to a piano lesson. Others find joy in what happens under the lights of a stage. Hopkinton High School's Drama department performed two major shows last year. 'Bang, Bang, You're Dead', and 'Flapper the Musical'. Sophomore Gabrielle Lui said "Drama was a lot more laid back than I had expected." While putting on a show can be stressful, these students found a way to go around the stress and relax. "I loved it," said Lui, "Everyone makes you feel so welcomed. I would definitely suggest it to others." If you like to be under a spotlight or just enjoy acting, singing, or dancing, give the Drama club a try.
Interact
Community service is what Interact is all about. Interact is a club run by Madame Harb,which meets every other Thursday at 7:15am. Senior Emma Brown said, "Any of the service projects that we do are available to everyone, with the exception of going to Honduras." The trip to Honduras is strictly for the members who have been on Interact for 2+ years. "In order to retain your status as a member, you are required to participate in at least three of the projects we do every year," says Brown. Recycling is the most important project. Members come in on the designated morning and recycle all of the paper items in the classrooms. If you believe you are a person who enjoys helping others through Community service projects, join Interact.
Drama Club
Everyone has their choice of extracurricular activities after school, whether its going to soccer, putting on some ballet shoes, or going to a piano lesson. Others find joy in what happens under the lights of a stage. Hopkinton High School's Drama department performed two major shows last year. 'Bang, Bang, You're Dead', and 'Flapper the Musical'. Sophomore Gabrielle Lui said "Drama was a lot more laid back than I had expected." While putting on a show can be stressful, these students found a way to go around the stress and relax. "I loved it," said Lui, "Everyone makes you feel so welcomed. I would definitely suggest it to others." If you like to be under a spotlight or just enjoy acting, singing, or dancing, give the Drama club a try.
Discover Who Really Keeps HHS Safe
by Mimi Ramsdell
School safety is being stressed this year at Hopkinton High School. Locks on every locker, cameras in the parking lots and bike racks are only a few of the additions Mr. Sousa has mentioned to improve school safety. While each of these additions does improve school safety, there is always the timeless question -- who keeps the school safe? Mr. Sousa believes it is the students, teachers, and administration who keep the school safe. But let’s not forget a group of staff that truly keeps the school safe. From locking the doors, to sanding the walkways in the winter, the custodial staff works hard every day.
The custodial staff, the truly under-appreciated workers of HHS, keep the school safe. Walking into the school every morning, it is noticeably clean. Not only is it easier to focus in a classroom that doesn’t have gum stuck to the bottom of the desk or broken chairs, but it helps prevent the spread of germs. Having the classrooms disinfected keeps students and staff safer every day, especially this fall and winter.
Furthermore, all of Mr. Sousa’s ideas, mentioned earlier, involve help from the custodial staff. Who installed the bike racks or will cut off locks when students forget their combinations? Brian Hall, a custodian, entered the office the other day reporting that a student’s car alarm kept going off. That is something the cameras could not see, and it helped keep HHS safer.
The custodial staff are recognized by some; the superintendent, Mr. Chamberlin, provided them with lunch to show his appreciation for all of their hard work over the summer. It is a shame that more people do not recognize their impact on HHS. Mr. Sousa stresses that students can’t learn if the environment is not safe. The custodial staff deserves much of the credit for keeping HHS a productive learning environment.
School safety is being stressed this year at Hopkinton High School. Locks on every locker, cameras in the parking lots and bike racks are only a few of the additions Mr. Sousa has mentioned to improve school safety. While each of these additions does improve school safety, there is always the timeless question -- who keeps the school safe? Mr. Sousa believes it is the students, teachers, and administration who keep the school safe. But let’s not forget a group of staff that truly keeps the school safe. From locking the doors, to sanding the walkways in the winter, the custodial staff works hard every day.
The custodial staff, the truly under-appreciated workers of HHS, keep the school safe. Walking into the school every morning, it is noticeably clean. Not only is it easier to focus in a classroom that doesn’t have gum stuck to the bottom of the desk or broken chairs, but it helps prevent the spread of germs. Having the classrooms disinfected keeps students and staff safer every day, especially this fall and winter.
Furthermore, all of Mr. Sousa’s ideas, mentioned earlier, involve help from the custodial staff. Who installed the bike racks or will cut off locks when students forget their combinations? Brian Hall, a custodian, entered the office the other day reporting that a student’s car alarm kept going off. That is something the cameras could not see, and it helped keep HHS safer.
The custodial staff are recognized by some; the superintendent, Mr. Chamberlin, provided them with lunch to show his appreciation for all of their hard work over the summer. It is a shame that more people do not recognize their impact on HHS. Mr. Sousa stresses that students can’t learn if the environment is not safe. The custodial staff deserves much of the credit for keeping HHS a productive learning environment.
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