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Newington High School

Home of the Nor'easters ~ A Family of Learners

Principal's Newsletter #42 (2024-2025)

Posted Date: 05/30/25 (05:39 PM)


Newington High School Principal's Newsletter

Weekly News and Updates - May 30, 2025

LOGO

Dear NHS Families and Friends,

Good afternoon,
Here we are, the end of May - how can that be? I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

We continued with another week of celebrations.
  • Tuesday evening we inducted 51 members into the Science National Honor Society.
  • Wednesday evening we held our 2025 Newington Athletic Schoalrships & Awards Ceremony and celebrated our student athletes. HERE is our athletic page where you can see the information and HERE is the YouTube video.
  • Thursday morning we held our 84th annual AM Awards and recognized 186 students for their academic accomplishments. HERE is the program and HERE is the YouTube video.
  • Thrusday evening NHS held a retirement reception to honor Ms. Sigmon, Mrs. Lennon, Mrs. McLane, Mr. Clark, Mrs. Houlihan, and Mrs. Gonzalez and celebrated their 142 years of combined service to Newington Public Schools. We will miss them all immensely!!!
  • Thursday evening we held our 85th annual Scholarship Awards Program and offered 59 scholarhips to 84 seniors totaling $135,500. HERE is the Youtube video.
  • Mrs. Kirsten Narowski was recognzied for graciously volunteering to evaluate the National English Honor Society (NEHS) Spring Awards. The NEHS Director, Christopher Lockwood, shared his "sincere appreciation and gratitude" for her "time and dedication to supporting NEHS' philanthropic projects."

Here's this week's learning: Seniors had a blast at their senior outing at Lake Compounce; students enjoyed the outdoors and chalk (calcium carbonate) to calculate moles and particles; students loved planting the seeds they grew; students enjoyed seeing Physics in real-life as they traveled to Six Flags; students engaged in an In-House field trip where they created architectural drawings of the interior and exterior of NHS and engaged in learning about drawing one or two point perspective from life.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, or contributions for the newsletter!

***This newsletter contains new information as well as previously shared information.***

Family of Learners Highlighted

military
military

AMERICAN LEGION POST 96 SALUTES MILITARY INDCUTEES: PENELOPE HUMPHREY, IANE CAYUNDA, LETICYA DOS SANTOS, ISADORA DOSREIS

American Legion Post 96 honored 18 students at the Town Hall Auditorium in West Hartford from Conard, Hall, Xavier, Northwest Catholic, and Newington High School going into either the U.S Army, U.S Navy, U.s. Air Force, West Point, U.s Army Reserve, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Marine Corps, Army ROTC, Navy ROTC, Air National Guard, or the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School.

Dr. Brummett and I were honored to be there to for Penelope Humphrey, Iane Cayunda, Leticya Dos Santos, and Isadora Dosreis.

We are so proud of all of these students!!! See pictures above of this wonderful event)
LOGO

SCIENCE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTEES

Congratulations to the following students who were inducted to the Science National Honor Society. Way to go!!!!

Anica Anan, Murtaza Ather, Ishaan Badugu, Siena Beqiraj, Adrian Bielski, Jilian Bouchard, Victoria Bucior, Taha Bukhari, Olivia Canepari, Matilde Costa, Camree Cournoyer, Dominik Czyz, Kaitlyn Dugas, Emilio Figueroa, Caroline Fisher, Meghan Genova, Sahasra Gudipudi, Marsi Guri, Arianna Henrique DeFarias, Justin Huynh, Kripa Jacob, Sam Jacob, Evelyn Kelly, Zaid Khan, Mason King, Victoria Klebanov, Monica Kowalczyk, Aiden Ky, Braden Lenehan, Nora Lewandowski, Briana Marques, Reagan Mayo, Tremain Morris, Gerick Napuli, Bryce Nguyen, Kenna O'Brien, Ethan Olczak, Maia Ouellette, Antonio Punzalan, Juliet Resto, Aidan Rodriguez, Santiago Rodriguez, Jenna Sanseverino , Chloe Savastra, Angel Shaji, Maiya Simpson, Julia Singh, Alexandra Taschuk, Gabriel Trifone, Morganne Tucker, Heath Weeden
Honor Society

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY = SERVICE PROJECTS

National Honor Society members continue to make a positive impact through their service projects! They've collected donations for the House of Bread, the Newington Humane Society, the Newington Food Bank, the NPS music program, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Together, our 42 NHS members have contributed over 2,000 hours of community service this school year! 
ENHS

NHS ENGLISH HONOR SOCIETY & ANNA REYNOLDS

The third-grade students from Becky Vansoest’s class at Anna Reynolds and the NHS English Honor Society students, under the leadership of Kirsten Narowski and Gina DiBernardo, met throughout the school year. The Penpals wrote letters back and forth each month, sharing information that helped create lasting friendships! In the winter and spring, the NHS students came to Anna Reynolds to read to the third graders and play interactive games. The third graders also took a “field trip” to the events center on two separate occasions to spend time with the NHS students.

A huge shout out to all students and staff involved!!!

New Information

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP ONLINE COURSE

No Cost, Online opportunity to earn 0.5 credits over summer

To: All students and families (Grades 9-11) of Newington High School & All students and families (Grade 8 only) of Biomedical and Aerospace Engineering

Over the summer, students have the opportunity to earn a mandated 0.5 credit toward the Health & Safety requirement set forth by the State of Connecticut and the Newington Board of Education. This course is online and free of charge. A Newington Public School teacher is available through Google Classroom to support students, as well.

What is the required credit?
Beginning with the Class of 2023, all students are required to earn 1.0 credits in Health & Safety.  
  • For 0.5 credits, all students are required to pass Health I at Newington High School (or equivalency for transfer students) 
  • For the other 0.5 credits, students have access to multiple options (flexible pathways):
  1. Enrolling and passing “Health and Safety in Games” at Newington High School
  2. Lifeguard Certification attained between grades 7-12. Proof of certification must be submitted to the school counselor.
  3. Successful participation in the Newington Fire Cadet program, as authorized by the Captain overseeing the program.
  4. Successful completion of Driver's Education course that includes topics on distracted driving and driving under the influence. Proof of successful completion must be submitted to the school counselor.
  5. Medical Science II, as long as the class is not used to fulfill any other graduation requirements.
  6. Achievement of Eagle Scout or Girl Scout Gold Award. Proof of successful completion must be submitted to the school counselor.
  7. Work, volunteer, or community experience requiring high school level safety training (must be approved by the principal). Students interested in this pathway should first discuss with the school counselor. 
  8. Successful completion of a self-directed online digital citizenship course. See below. This summer opportunity will fulfill 0.5 credits through this option. 
Information about online Digital Citizenship course
This letter serves as an opportunity for interested students to participate in the online digital citizenship course (#7 above). Prior to consideration of enrollment in this course, please note the following:
  • Registration will be open on May 30, 2025 - June 13, 2025
  • If selected for enrollment, students will receive access to the online course on Monday, June 23, 2025
  • All work must be completed and submitted online by August 8, 2025 (students have approximately 6 weeks to complete the course).
  • The course consists of six units. Each unit has a short quiz with 3-4 questions of multiple choice and open-ended questions. Students must complete each quiz with “best effort” as determined by the teacher. Each quiz is self-correcting and will give immediate feedback to the student. If the student does not complete “best effort” quality on any quiz, the teacher may ask the student to re-do the unit. 

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP ONLINE COURSE (CON'T)


  • The culminating experience for the course is a multiple choice summative assessment. Students must earn a 90% (answer 21 out of 23 questions correctly) to receive credit for the course. Students are able to continue to access content as they complete quizzes and their summative assessment. 
  • Students may retake the summative assessment as many times as they need to earn the minimum passing score of 90%.
  • Learning is expected to be independent and students are expected to work and learn with honesty and integrity. Failure to adhere to expected code of conduct will result in loss of credit for this course.
  • Class enrollment is limited with priority given to seniors.

What the coursework entails
The course is broken down into six units that cover six different topics related to Digital Citizenship. This design also allows students to complete one unit at a time, from the beginning of the unit through all learning materials (reading, slide presentations, videos), and formative assessments in one sitting of 90 minutes or less. 

How to Enroll
Interested students should first discuss the class with their parent/guardian, just as they would with all other class enrollments and changes. Next, complete this form. NOTE: Students must be logged in to their NPS account to access the google form. 
If you have questions
  • Appropriateness of the class for me or my student: Student’s school counselor
  • Content of the course: Kristen Freeman, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, kfreeman@npsct.org
Support from the teacher during the coursework: Mrs. Casey Campana, ccampana@npsct.org
PRIDE

STORM SUPPLY

Hello Nor'Easters! It's time to celebrate the end of the school year while we also need to show our greatest pride to support the LGBTQ+ community. It's alright if you don't have any pride items in your wardrobe because you can come on down to the Storm Supply while all pride related items are on sale. We hope that you all have an amazing summer! Online Orders only - bit.ly/NHSstorecatalog

Schedules, School Calendar, Important Links

(In every newsletter)

BELL SCHEDULES: Click HERE to view all our bell schedules.
DAY CALENDAR:  Click HERE to view our NHS 2024-25 Day Calendar.  
REPORT CARD SCHEDULE: Click HERE to view the Report Card Schedule for our 2024-2025 school year. Please note that snow days will impact this schedule.  
ANNOUNCEMENT SLIDES: Click HERE to view our announcement slides. (updated daily)
CLUB DIRECTORY: Click HERE to view our club information. (get involved!!!)
ATHLETICS: Click HERE for the Spring Sports Schedule

Upcoming schedule:

Monday, June 2: A Day
Tuesday, June 3: B Day
Wednesday, June 4: E Day *slightly adjusted schedule
Thursday, June 5: O Day *slightly adjusted schedule
Friday, June 6: C Day

June Important Dates

Final exams:

June 11: Periods 1 $ 2
June 12: Periods 3 & 4
June 13: Periods 5 & 6
June 16: Periods 7 & 8
June 17: Make up & Make up

***ALL students must take their exam during their scheduled period UNLESS approved by administration. Any absence must be verified or a student will receive an automatic zero on their exam.***

HERE is the schedule and HERE are the Bus Runs (also on the schedule)

Attendance appeals information will be coming out next week. Students who have gone over our allowable number of absences (10 in a semester class/20 in a year-long class) will receive a date and time to appeal. Students should be prepared to attend with documentation, etc as to why they should be granted their credit(s).

PREVIOUSLY SHARED INFORMATION

hands

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NPS AND CCSU

Newington Public Schools and CCSU have established a partnership agreement that allows Newington High School students the opportunity to take up to two evening courses per semester, four per academic year, to earn university credit if the student earns a grade of “C” or higher.
Students interested in taking a course for the Fall 2025 semester need to complete the CCSU registration form and submit to the School Counseling Office by August 1st for the CCSU Fall 2025 semester, which begins on August 26, 2025.
See attached documents to view the CCSU Dual Enrollment Information including NHS’s Dual Enrollment Guidelines and Procedures, CCSU’s Spring course offerings, CCSU’s High School Dual Enrollment Registration Agreement, and CCSU New Student Information.

If you have any questions contact the main school counseling office or your school counselor.
golf

IN HONOR OF NHS GRADUATE - JACKIE PELLIGRINI

Join us for the 9th Annual Bill Pellegrini Charity Golf Tournament. This tournament benefits Boston Children's Hospital Scoliosis Research.

When: June 24, 2025
Where: Indian Hill Country Club

Click HERE to Register and find out more information
sb

Integrated Health Services, Inc. (IHS) School Based Health Center

IHS partners with the Newington Public School District to administer School Based Health Center services at Newington High School.

The clinic is staffed by a part-time nurse practitioner and a full-time licensed social worker who work collaboratively with school administrators, staff, and families to deliver medical and on-going therapeutic behavioral health services. 

All students at the school are eligible to enroll in the SBHC, and all enrolled students of the School Based Health Center have access to the following services:
The Nurse Practitioner:
 Diagnose and treats illnesses and minor injuries, such as a sore throat, an ear infection
 Prescribes medication
 Administers immunization
 Conducts examinations for school or sports
 Assists students in managing chronic conditions, such as asthma and diabetes
 Conducts individual and group health promotion and education
 Provides limited reproductive health services
The Licensed Social Worker:
 Provides counseling and mental health services
 Conducts individual, group, and family therapy sessions
 Performs crisis intervention
Impact of School-Based Health Center (SBHC):
 Increase access to healthcare services
 Improve health, wellness and educational outcomes for students
 Reduce out of school time for purposes of going to healthcare appointments
 Supports families’ ability to remain at work to maintain family economic security 

To reach the School Based Health Center, contact:
-Danielle Oliveria, APRN, oliveira@ihssbhc.org
-Shannoya Scott, Social Worker, LMSW, sscott@ihssbhc.org

To learn more about IHS visit, www.integratedhealthservices.org, and to enroll your student, use the QR code above to go directly to the Parent Permission Form that you can complete and submit immediately online or stop in our Nurses' Office at NHS.

Nurses' Office

No new information at this time.
 

Websites

(Included in every newsletter)

We would like to introduce you to the websites at both the district and school levels. In our websites you will be able to locate the following:



School Social Media: All of our schools and the district have social media pages that are linked on their websites/homepages. On the school/district social media accounts, you will find school-specific information, events, photos, and more! We invite you to use the Facebook links/information below to find, like, and follow us on social media!

Contact Information

Proud Principal

FOL tree
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. You can reach out via the following ways:

  • phone: (860) 666-5611 x 1190
  • email: ttigno@npsct.org

Proud Principal,
Terra A. Tigno