MARBLEHEAD HIGH SCHOOL
2 Humphrey Street
Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945-2290
(781) 639-3100
(781) 639-3105 (fax)
April 14, 2015
http://mhs.marbleheadschools.org/teachers/clough/Senior%20Class%20Website
Dear Parents/Guardians of Seniors:
Graduation time grows closer and, with great anticipation of their bright future, our seniors are thinking
about the many activities planned for the end of their high school careers. Our goal for this letter is to
clearly outline our expectations so that everyone involved will meet deadlines, savor each event, and
celebrate in a safe way.
Please post this letter in your home (hence its alias, the Refrigerator Letter) so that you and your senior
will have a complete schedule of the upcoming senior events. For other details please check the MHS
website and click on High School Links, Faculty & Staff, Patrice Clough (Senior Class Advisor) and
you will see the Senior Class website.
Obligations
All seniors will receive an obligation sheet that needs to be signed by each teacher, their Guidance
Counselor, the Librarian, the Assistant Principal’s office, the Athletic Office and the Senior Class
advisor. Senior Project students have a bright yellow sheet; all other seniors will have a salmon sheet.
Here is the obligations checklist:
•
All courses are passed, all incompletes are completed.
•
All textbooks and library books are returned.
•
Class dues are paid in full.
•
All detentions have been served.
•
Sports uniforms have been returned.
•
Lockers are cleaned out; locks (if applicable) have been turned in or removed.
•
Post-Graduate Plan sheet has been turned into the Guidance Department.
•
Any outstanding fees have been paid.
If all obligations are not met, students will not be cleared to receive their cap and gown.
Senior Project
This year approximately 155 seniors will be participating in Senior Project. The last week of classes for
senior project participants is April 13-17, except those students still in Advanced Placement classes or
fulfilling other class requirements. On Thursday, April 16, senior project obligation sheets must be
passed in to Ms. Page or Ms. Carlson, the Senior Project Advisors, for clearance.
Parent Meeting
On Monday, May 18, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school theater, there is a mandatory senior week
meeting for parents and seniors. Attendance will be taken. This is a meeting to explain all senior week
activities including senior prom. If you cannot attend Monday evening’s meeting, another meeting will
be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 7:30 a.m. Please check the MHS website for exact location.
Carnival Fundraiser
Beginning on Thursday, April 30, the senior class carnival fundraiser will be held at Devereux Beach
through Sunday, May 3, rain or shine!
Senior Prom
Prom tickets will be on sale Monday, May 11 through Friday, May 15. The price includes transportation,
dinner and dancing. The price is $30.00 per person. Tickets will be sold before school, during lunch
and at 2:30 in the Guidance Foyer. All students are required to use the provided bus to and from the
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge. Only cash or money orders will be accepted. Money orders must be
made out to the Town of Marblehead (no personal checks). Two permission forms will be required of
seniors, one for enrolled MHS students and one for any friends who do not currently attend MHS. All
students who do not attend MHS must fill out a separate permission form and attach a valid photo ID.
All students who do not attend MHS and are 18 years or older must be CORI checked. No guest over 21
years of age is allowed to attend the senior prom. A ticket cannot be purchased until forms have been
returned. Parents must provide a cell phone number on the permission slip in case we need to contact
you.
Senior Prom
Friday, May 29, 2015 - Hyatt Regency Hotel, Cambridge: 7:30 pm – 11:30 pm
6:30 pm - All prom-goers arrive at the high school.
7:00 pm - Buses will leave for the prom at the Hyatt Regency
Any student found to be using or in possession of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco will not be allowed to board
the bus to the prom and will also be denied participation in the graduation ceremony.
Students and guests attending the prom are expected to convey the highest level of respect and decorum
associated with a formal event of this nature. Failure to meet these behavioral expectations will result in
parent/guardian notification and subsequent removal from the event. School consequences will apply.
Senior Project Presentations
On Wednesday, May 27, Senior Project students will report to school by 12:15 pm to prepare for their
presentations which begin promptly at 1:00 pm. Senior Project presentations will take place from 1:00
to 4:00 pm; parents are invited to hear the presentations. After the presentations, all seniors going white
water rafting must attend a safety procedure preparation meeting at 4:15 pm in the Lecture Hall, Room
D204. Senior Project students will return to their internship on Thursday, May 28, Friday, May 30 and
Monday, June 1.
Last Day of Classes
Monday, June 1 is the last day of classes for all seniors. Non-Senior Project students must remain in
school all day; Senior Project students will end their internships on Monday, June 1. Non-Senior Project
students must turn in the completed salmon obligation sheet to the Principal’s office by the end of the
day when classes are finished. If all obligations are not met, students will not be cleared to receive
their cap and gown.
Senior Project students will have turned in their obligation sheets to Ms. Page or Ms. Carlson on April
16, but they may have outstanding items such as AP obligations/books that are due, sports uniforms that
may need to be turned in and the Post-Graduate Plan forms to be returned to the Guidance Department.
Monday, June 1 is the last day to complete all obligations. If all obligations are not met, students will
not be cleared to receive their cap and gown.
White Water Rafting Trip
On Tuesday, June 2, students will meet in the MHS Field House at 7:00 am with their bags and gear.
Buses leave for Millinocket, Maine from the high school at 7:30 am. See MHS website for more details
and necessary items for the trip. Rafters and chaperones will return on Wednesday, June 3, at 10:00 pm.
Parents, please be waiting at the high school for pickup. Your children will be tired and the chaperones
will have to teach the next day. All rafters, please note there is a mandatory safety procedure
preparation meeting on Wednesday, May 27, after Senior Project presentations, at 4:15 pm in the
Lecture Hall, Room D204.
Graduation Rehearsal – Thursday, June 4, 2015
On Thursday, June 4 at 8:30 am there is a mandatory graduation rehearsal. Seniors will meet in
the MHS Theater. In order to participate in Sunday’s ceremony, all seniors must attend! Missing
students will lose the privilege of attending other senior events. Seniors are encouraged to wear a t-shirt
reflecting their future plans to this practice. Students will be dismissed when the rehearsal is over at
approximately 10:00 am. At the end of graduation rehearsal, students must pick up their health records
from the School Nurse. Caps and gowns will be distributed after the rehearsal only to those seniors who
have no outstanding obligations.
Senior Class Banquet - Friday, June 5, 2015
On Friday, June 5, at 5:00 pm the Senior Banquet will be held at MHS in the cafeteria and the theater.
Yearbooks will be distributed at this time.
5:00 - 6:00 pm: Appetizers/light dinner in MHS cafeteria
6:00 - 7:30 pm: Senior Awards, Farewell to Retiring Faculty, if any
7:30 - 9:00 pm: Frank Santos, hypnotist
9:00 - 10:00 pm: Dessert and yearbook distribution
Parents, if you can help with setup (1:00 to 5:00 pm) or cleanup (10:00 to 10:30 pm) for the banquet,
please email Mrs. Clough at [email protected].
Graduation - Sunday, June 7, 2015
Senior boys must wear a collared dress shirt, necktie, and long pants (no jeans) under their robe. Senior
girls are encouraged to wear dresses or skirts under their gowns (no flowers on the graduation gowns or
hats, please). Shoes are required. No flip-flops or sneakers will be allowed. Students who are not
properly dressed will be sent home to change. Please return all rented caps and gowns to the café
immediately following the ceremony.
1:00 pm
All seniors report to the high school theater to form the graduation procession.
2:00 pm
Graduation will begin at the MHS Field House. Doors will open at 1:15 pm and
seating will be on a first come, first serve basis, except for preferred seating for
the elderly, handicapped and their families, who will be seated in special
accessible areas. Entrance to the Field House will be only through the Field House
main doors near the football field although those needing additional assistance
such as handicapped or elderly may be dropped off at the front door. No tickets
are required for guests to attend graduation.
Near the end of May parents will be receiving a form to order graduation pictures from Hockmeyer
Studios/Essex Commencement Photos, who has been retained by the senior class. Information on
obtaining these photographs of your son or daughter will be forwarded to you by Hockmeyer Studios,
but if you do not receive a form by May 30, please contact Brian Hockmeyer at (978) 388-9832.
MHS Television Production students will videotape the graduation ceremony and it will be broadcast on
MHTV at a later date. DVD copies of graduation can be purchased for $20.00 with checks payable to
the Town of Marblehead. For more information or to order a copy, please contact via email Henry
Christensen at [email protected].
Safety and Expectations
Let us all continue to set a very high standard for the seniors during these end-of-year celebrations. With
regard to the use of alcohol and drugs and tobacco, it is best for them if we set up clear boundaries and
meaningful consequences, not because we want to catch them making a mistake, rather because we want
to guide them to make the right decision ahead of time. Students should be able to say “no thanks” if
offered alcohol or drugs or tobacco because they want to be able to participate in the full compliment of
senior week activities. At the final senior class meeting we will be emphasizing the expected behavior
during senior week and the consequences for any violation. All school rules apply to any senior activity.
Since the school simply cannot supervise our seniors 24 hours a day, a great deal of the responsibility
for behavior belongs to our families. To prevent any tragedies from occurring, please familiarize
yourself with the current social host laws and set clear boundaries for our seniors. Remember it is
against the law to serve or allow alcohol in your home to persons under the age of 21.
Library Donations
Each year we ask parents of graduating seniors to donate funds to purchase books or technology for our
school library. The funds may be donated in honor of your child’s four years at MHS, in honor of a
teacher who has made a difference, or in honor or memory of someone important in your child’s life.
We believe such a gift is both a nice and thoughtful way to congratulate students on their graduation and
to keep our school library stocked with new books and technology. The response has been gratifying
and we would like to continue this tradition.
Each book is given a bookplate indicating donor and honoree. Donors and honorees will also be mailed
acknowledgments and will be recognized in the MHS Informational Update. Please feel free to contact
Maia Hajj, in the Library with any questions at 781-639-3100, ext. 3203.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and for your support.
Sincerely,
Layne Millington
Principal
Patrice Clough
Senior Class Advisor