PTO Mindshare Event, Apr 30: Recovery Advocacy & Addiction Awareness

FREE EVENT – OPEN TO ALL
Middle School and High School students encouraged to attend

Breaking the Stigma: Recovery Advocacy & Addiction Awareness

Tony Hoffman, Former BMX Pro, U.S. Olympic Coach & Recovering Addict

Tuesday, April 30th, 7pm at Robert Adams Middle School,

323 Woodland Street, Holliston

Mindshare is proud to introduce a free seminar with Tony Hoffman, former addict of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin.

His substance abuse led him to commit a crime that resulted in a prison sentence. Tony is a Former BMX Elite Pro and is currently ranked #2 in Masters Pro class. He is a 2016 Rio Olympic Games Coach, with Women’s BMX PRO, Brooke Crain, in his line-up. Join us to hear Tony’s story of redemption as he recounts some of the highest highs, and the lowest lows.

This event is sponsored by Mindshare, Connecting the Community with Education.

Mindshare is Holliston PTO’s parent education program For more information, please contact Anne Buckley at parentedevents@gmail.com

Student Feature Friday: Tristan Beck Torres

This week’s Student Feature Friday is junior Tristan Beck Torres who has a love for Crossfit and music. When Crossfit Firewall opened in Holliston, Tristan was the only teen there for the first few months but he persevered and has found a love of the techniques and the community. He loves seeing everyone in their own domain and appreciates being able to see his physical and mental strength as he progresses. He is hoping to partner with Mr. D’Avanzo for an internship next year to further develop his own skills, as he likes the idea of being a Crossfit coach. He describes Functional Fitness and Nutrition as an important class for him because it taught him how to adopt a lifestyle that really resonated with him.

Photo Credit by Henry Studios

Equally enjoyable for him is music, and in particular, music production. He began playing the clarinet in fourth grade and has since added piano and tenor saxophone to his repertoire. Participating in Districts in 7th and 8th grade alongside other talented musicians further solidified his interest in music. He is excited about his upcoming independent study with Mr. Bilodeau, where he will concentrate on music production and distribution. He loves recording music and sees it as a way to express himself, describing his style as “video game” music. Tristan shows a maturity and self-confidence that will serve him well in his future endeavors. To learn more about Tristan, visit the Student Feature Friday section of the Principal’s blog.

Student Feature Friday: Ashani Kurukulasuriya

This week’s Student Feature Friday is Junior Ashani Kurukulasuriya whose maturity and compassion for others is truly remarkable. When it became clear to Ashani that the school did not yet have a club to meet her needs, she partnered with a recent graduate from Harvard University to establish a chapter of Vision:Global Health at HHS. In addition to creating the club at HHS, Ashani and other members will be presenting at the Harvard Global Health and Leadership Conference this April. She is excited to attend the conference to learn more about food insecurity and human trafficking and how it affects local communities. Although the club is just beginning, they are already working with nearby food pantries to see what needs exist and researching speakers who can bring awareness to concerns about human trafficking.

Ashani just attended her first meeting of a seventeen week program with Youth in Philanthropy (YIP), which “...is an experiential leadership development program designed to empower and educate local youth to become our community’s next generation of philanthropists–those who give their time, talent and treasure for the common good” (https://yipmetrowest.org). This program will further develop her passion for community service and provide opportunities for her to learn more about obtaining grants and funding for causes that she feels strongly about. To learn more about Ashani, visit the Student Feature Friday section of the Principal's blog.

Spring Sports Registration Now Open

Registration for 2018-2019 Spring Sports is now open!

Registration for HHS sports has three required pieces:

1. Filling out the registration form at http://hhsathletics.holliston.k12.ma.us/registration
2. Submitting an up-to date physical exam (requirements)
3. Paying the athletics fee. You may pay on the Town of Holliston website or by check dropped off at/or mailed to HHS Main Office Checks must be made out to "Town of Holliston- Athletics" for $225.00.

The due date for all forms, physical exams, and payment is March 8, 2019.

Student Feature Friday: Samantha Paquette

This week’s Student Feature Friday is senior Samantha Paquette whose limitless academic potential is matched by her unbounded compassion for others. Her recent starring role in Footloose highlighted her beautiful singing voice and her strong acting talent. Samantha began participating in theatre at Prana summer camp when she was 4 or 5 and has found a noticeable difference to her happiness when she is on stage. When speaking about singing, a large smile comes across her face and she says, “chorus lifts me up.” From the moment she started performing she was able to bring the characters to life through song in a way that allowed her to connect the words with the underlying message and share her talent with the world. Whether it is performing for large audiences or at small parties for young children, she is at home in the world of music. To learn more about Samantha, visit the Student Feature Friday section of the Principal's Blog.

Public Forum: The Future of Holliston High School

The Future of Holliston High School: A Community Conversation

Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 7 pm, HHS Auditorium

Originally designed in 1965 and opened in 1969, Holliston High School has served our community well for almost 50 years. Although it received a cosmetic renovation in 2000, now, 18 years later, the administration estimates that there are an estimated $10,000,000 in building infrastructure repairs and infrastructure replacements that we can reasonably expect to see in the coming decade. Understanding that our students’ classroom experience has changed significantly from 50 years ago and before investing such a significant amount of money in a 50-year old building, the School Committee asked the administration to review the building’s usefulness and effectiveness as a 21-century learning center. That review revealed a significant number of areas where the physical plant did not support the technology-rich, collaborative instructional model used today.

Given the significance of the anticipated costs over the next decade to maintain the building and the design deficiencies that impede our ability to provide our students with comparable 21st century learning environment available in most MetroWest communities who have already modernized their high school, the School Committee feels that it is time for Holliston to begin a serious conversation as a community regarding the High School and options moving forward.

To begin this discussion, the School Committee is holding a public forum, The Future of Holliston High School: A Community Conversation, on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at 7 pm in the Holliston High School auditorium. This forum is open to all members of the public. The decisions our community face are important and will likely impact our students’ high school experience for the next several decades. Your attendance and participation as we begin to explore these issues is strongly encouraged.

Student Feature Friday: Lauren Salley

This week’s Student Feature Friday is senior Lauren Salley who is a force to be reckoned with both on and off the athletic field. Lauren is a very strong athlete, participating on Indoor Track, Lacrosse and Cross-Country where she is a co-captain. She has been nominated as a Tri-Valley All Star during her sophomore, junior and senior years of high school. Lauren recently attended the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit where she represented HHS to learn more about leadership, the importance of teamwork, and how to be a role model to others. Lauren wants to make the world a better place through helping others and there is no doubt that she is already on her way. To learn more about Lauren, check out the Student Feature Friday section of the Principal's Blog