Friday, October 16, 2015

Meg Colantuoni, College Financing Night, MCAS Results, & More


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Crusader field hockey captain Meg Colantuoni, one of GDRHS’ September Athletes of the Month.
By Bob Mingolelli

There are many outstanding student athletes at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School. With recommendations from the faculty, the Groton Herald will highlight a few of these individuals during the school year.

Senior varsity field hockey co-captain Meg Colantuoni has lived in Groton for all but 13 months. Her accomplishments are the personification of achievements achieved through hard work. GD faculty and coaches agree Meg’s competitive nature and positive energy make her a pleasure to have both in class and in playing her favorite sport, field hockey.
Mr. and Mrs. Dave and Mary Colantuoni always encouraged Meg and older brother Tim, positively supporting them in school and in their athletic activities. Tim played baseball at G-D and is currently a student at Middlesex Community College.

Meg has played numerous sports including youth soccer; varsity tennis her freshman and sophomore years as well as field hockey.  “I have played hockey since the eighth grade and decided that was the sport I wanted to focus on,” shared Meg.

As a freshman, Meg played JV field hockey, but made up her mind that she wanted to be on the varsity as a sophomore. “I didn’t think I was good enough so I really started working hard, playing club hockey just trying to improve.”  Field hockey included Granite State Elite and Futures Field Hockey and playing year round became the norm.

The hard work paid dividends for Megan who made the varsity as a sophomore and co-captains the team this season along with junior goalie, Abby Vervaeke.

“After that freshman year I really knew I liked the sport,” she remembers and decided, “I might like to play field hockey in college. Nichols College is one of the schools I have looked at but have not committed to.”

In her sophomore and junior years, Meg anchored the defense for the field hockey team. Because she has the skills and savvy to transfer effectively, varsity field hockey coach Rachel Connerty plays Meg at center-mid this year where she transitions from offense to defense as play dictates. “I’m all over the place, calling the plays on the corners. I love it,” she shared. “Meg sets the tone of the game. She certainly has a nose for the ball, doesn’t mind pestering opposing players with tenacious defense. She communicates to her teammates and sets the plays,” comments Connerty.

 “When she is out there going for the ball and playing offensively, her teammates do the same, and it sure is fun to be a part of! She is the backbone and the spirit of the team.  Her positive leadership, dedication, strong defensive and offensive skills, knowledge of the game and motivation to not only improve herself personally but help make the players around her better,” continued coach Connerty.

Meg has had consistent honor roll grades through high school. Talking about her future plans, she shared “I thought about studying nursing after high school but forensics and criminology are very interesting career paths for me.”

 G-D chemistry teacher Steve Kleeman insists that Meg brings the same qualities from the hockey field to the classroom.  “A fighter in what she believes in, competitive energy and her presence improves the atmosphere in class,” relates Kleeman.

Meg enjoys time outdoors with her dog Slinky “You know Slinky, from Toy Story,” she smiled. She also enjoys working at the Groton Country Club as a hostess for various function hall events.

Meg is beyond being proud of being selected field hockey captain. “I love the game and worked extremely hard to improve. Being recognized for my effort is very fulfilling because it was unexpected. It was Great!”




MCAS Results
Students who completed the MCAS exam last year received their results before leaving today.  A presentation on school and district results will be provided at a School Committee meeting in the near future.  I will share data in my blog after that presentation.  

MEFA College Financing Event at GD
Parents and students are invited to attend a free seminar on paying for college, which will be held on Thursday, October 22, at 6:00 pm in the High School Black Box. This seminar is offered through MEFA, the Commonwealth’s authority on planning, saving, and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the college financing process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and financing options for your family. Before the seminar, be sure to visit MEFA’s website — mefa.org — to download a copy of the seminar presentation and explore other tools and resources to assist you in the college planning process.

Yard Sale Fundraiser
In the spirit of community service and global awareness, students and staff traveling to Ecuador in April of 2016, are holding a Yard Sale fundraiser at Prescott, 145 Main Street in Groton. The yard sale is scheduled for Saturday, October 24th from 8:00 am until noon with a rain date of Sunday, October 25th. Don't worry, either way, you won't miss the Patriots! Students, staff, and parents will collect, sort and later sell donated items. 

Donations, a vital part of our yard sale success, should be brought to the rear entrance of Prescott on Friday, October 23rd, between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  After the yard sale ends, any remaining items will be delivered to Savers in Nashua, NH. For a list ofaccepted donations, check the Savers of Nashua, NH donation center site.   Help us help local families and global efforts as we raise funds to help others, create a greener planet Earth by recycling goods, and support Savers designated nonprofit, the Epilepsy New England Foundation New Hampshire.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!

Harvard University Event For Students
A one-day conference for high school students to learn how to jump start initiatives.  Keynote speakers and hands-on and small-group workshops aimed at teaching students how to launch and improve initiatives. For more information click on the link provided.  goo.gl/kS2MPy

Yearbook Photo Deadline
The deadline for senior portraits was Friday, October 16. Many seniors haven't submitted their senior portrait yet. Here is a link to a letter explaining how to submit your senior's portrait. 

Please submit the portrait as soon as possible. We cannot extend a grace period beyond October 26 because our first yearbook submission to the publisher includes the senior portrait section. We want to make sure every senior is included!

If you have any questions on senior portraits, please contact Jon Adams (jadams@gdrsd.org).






GDRHS Drama Guild Presents Harvey by Mary Chase
Since the beginning of school in September, Groton-Dunstable High School drama students and teachers have been hard at work preparing for their first production of the year. Harvey is a comedy by Mary Chase that follows Elwood P. Dowd, a man who sees a tall rabbit-like creature named Harvey who is invisible to the rest of the world. His sister, Veta, attempts to put Elwood in a sanitarium for the mentally ill. But is Harvey really only a product of Elwood’s mind? You be the judge.

Drama Guild has started out the year with 50 students involved, most of them currently working on Harvey. The production is being directed by GDRMS English teacher Jennifer Leung and assistant directed by Jack Malone, a junior at GDRHS. Shows are on November 6 at 7 PM and November 7 at 2 PM and 7 PM at the GDRHS Black Box Theatre, 703 Chicopee Row in Groton, MA. Tickets are $10 general admission; $8 for students, senior citizens, and the matinee.

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