Google Camp at GD, Friday Night Football & More

Google Cloud Camp at GD

GDRSD will be hosting a Google Cloud Camp Event on October 17th at the Groton-Dunstable Regional High School. This will be the second time we have hosted a Google training event. 

The Groton Cloud Camp featuring Google for Education focuses on authentic and valuable ways to use the Google for Education Tools. The training keeps the beginner in mind while providing those ready to ‘level’ up with unique uses and tips for using Google apps in the classroom, organization, for productivity or collaboration.  http://groton.appsevents.com/about

PSAT & College Visit Information

Attention juniors: It is time to sign up for the PSAT.  Please go to the high school website and register.  http://gdrsd.org/gdrhs/ Also, students should check Naviance to see the list of colleges visiting GD.

PSAT registration will be open to sophomores beginning next week. 

Friday Night Football

By Lorrie Stewart

GD Football Club President

Are you ready for some football? The GD Crusaders take on the St. Peter Marian Guardians on Friday under the lights at 7:00 PM. Our youngest Crusaders from the GD Youth Football and Cheer club will be on hand to help welcome onto the field our very own 2015 Crusaders in game two of what is turning out to be a very exciting football season. Gates open at 6:00 PM and besides the awesome chili, hamburgers and hot dogs for sale, the Football club has more give items to give away on Friday night! Keep your student ticket and listen for your number to be called by Maria Antonellis at half time. Chipotle and I-tunes gift cards are up for grabs this week! Maybe one of the 70 youth football players or 25 youth cheerleaders will walk away with the prizes at half time! Show your fan support and do your job...fill the bleachers!

Boys & Girls Soccer & Concussion Awareness

Groton-Dunstable Regional High School Boys and Girls Soccer will take part in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's initiative to help raise awareness and better educate soccer player, parents, coaches and athletic trainers on concussion injuries and proper treatment. http://thinktaylor.org/

“The MIAA is pleased to join Think Taylor and Inaria in launching this groundbreaking program designed to promote concussion awareness and safety,” said Bill Gaine, Executive Director of the MIAA. “The MIAA is committed to the safety and welfare of our student-athletes across the Commonwealth, and our Think Taylor/MIAA Concussion Awareness Week underscores that commitment. We can’t wait to see the soccer fields of Massachusetts painted orange for Concussion Awareness Week, and we look forward to taking the ‪#‎TTpledge.”

The Crusader Girls Soccer teams will draw attention to this issue when they host Leominster at GDRHS on Saturday, September 19th (11am). Our Boys Soccer team will further support this important initiative on Thursday, September 24th when Quabbin comes to town for a 4pm game.

Additionally, the Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Groton-Dunstable Athletic Booster Club (GDABC), will offer ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing on the following dates for interested high school students:

Saturday, September 19, 2015, 8am-9am

Saturday, September 26, 2015, 8am-9am

Saturday, October 3, 2015, 8am-9am

TESTING TAKES PLACE AT GDRHS, ROOM 213. PLEASE ARRIVE BY 7:30AM.

Non-Perishable Items Needed

Non-Perishable Items Needed

On the 17th of September our second advisory will feature a competition that requires students to build something with the non-perishable items donated. The advisory with the most items donated wins lunch, and the winner of the building competition wins breakfast. Feel free to send in all of your non-perishable items between now and September 17th. All proceeds will benefit the Loaves and Fishes. http://loavesfishespantry.org/

GD Students Giving Back & More

With week two nearly complete both students and staff are beginning to acclimate to the hectic start of the school year. With the early distractions behind us, this week we focused on settling into a more traditional school routine. Acclimating proved a malleable and fickle substance as the weather did not care to cooperate this week. There is nothing that screams comfortable learning environment quite like 20 plus students in a confined space nearing 90 degrees. Undaunted, the teaching and learning continued. Please read below to learn about some impressive GD students along with a plea for non-perishable items.

Non-Perishable Items Needed

On the 17th of September our second advisory will feature a competition that requires students to build something with the non-perishable items donated. Feel free to send in all of your non-perishable items between now and September 17th. All proceeds will benefit the Loaves and Fishes organization. http://loavesfishespantry.org/

Shaw's Market
Thanks to Shaw's for the generous donation to GDRHS.  

Youvisit.com

Find virtual campus tours and virtual reality experiences of 1000+ colleges & universities online. Take the best guided walking tours of schools worldwide

http://www.youvisit.com/colleges

National Student Exchange Program

400 colleges in the USA and Canada participate in the National Student Exchange Program. This program allows students to take courses at other colleges across the nation while paying the same tuition as your college. The only difference in price would be the cost of room & board which may be higher in another location. Colleges work with students to assure the courses they are taking fit into their major and will transfer back to their "home" college.  

Here is the link: 

http://www.nse.org/exchange/offices.asp

Ciara Selders Ciara Selders is an accomplished student with an interest in photography. She is currently pursuing the Girl Scout Gold Award, which represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. She is hoping to build a raised, mobile, sustainable vegetable garden on school grounds. I have included a short bio, a picture, and a link to her photography website.  

Hello all, my name is Ciara Selders and I’m currently a senior at the high school. My past (almost) four years at the high school have opened my eyes to new areas of interests both in and out of the classroom. One area in particular that I have recently grown to love is digital photography. Not too long ago I envisioned professional DSLR cameras as confusing and even intimidating, but after taking Mr. O’Connor’s photography class I have grown to appreciate a camera’s capabilities and even bought a DSLR of my own! I would encourage anyone reading this to consider giving photography a try, even if you’re artistically challenged (like myself). 

Aside from photography, I am interested in attending college next fall to start my journey toward obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree. I plan on majoring in neuroscience/neurobiology, with a concentration in neurodegenerative diseases. My interest in this area stems from a recent death in the family due to a related cause. I am excited to see what the rest of my senior year holds, and can’t wait to embark on the journey more familiarly known as “adulthood”.

Ciara's Photography Website http://cselders21.wix.com/cseldersphotography.

Students Serve the Southwest

This summer several GD students donated their time and effort to a worthy cause in the Southwest. Below you will find pictures along with information about their journey.

Teec Nos Pos, AZ -- Five GDRHS youth traveled to the southwest this past summer, for an experience like no other. Students Samantha Ferraro(‘16), Lauren Duhamel(‘16), Justin Duhamel(‘18), Philip Kendall(‘15), and Geoff Kidger(‘15) labored tirelessly to repair homes for the elderly and low-income Navajo people. Through the organization Group Mission Trips, under the guise of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, these youth gathered with three hundred others from across the country to partner with the State of Utah Weatherization Program. In just under five days, this group of volunteers successfully repaired over thirty five homes on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

Throughout the journey from Salt Lake City to Four Corners, the seventeen participants encountered bizarre landscapes, an alarming lack of trees and spectacular red rock formations. They traversed the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, mammoth mesas in Monument Valley, and sweeping arches at Arches National Park. Many of these kids have participated in these service trips since the age of twelve, amounting to six trips over the years, yet this year the remote desert environment and cultural immersion of the Navajo people posed an added challenge. “Miles down a dirt road, with only a wood-stove for heat and no transportation, my resident lived as a single mother with four children ages zero to thirteen,” a leader recalled.

Working hard in 106 degree heat. From top left to bottom right: Geoff Kidger,

Lauren Duhamel, Justin Duhamel, Philip Kendall.

Not only did these volunteers transform parts the Navajo community by applying coats of paint, constructing porches, building wheelchair ramps, and installing weather-proofed metal roofs, but the community transformed the youth’s own views on the world. Long-time participant Lauren Duhamel described:

“This trip opened my eyes to a new culture in our country. The experience is something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. It taught me how to be respectful of other cultures by observing how the Navajo need to use an item to its full potential. Unlike in the northeast, we had to conserve every scrap of extra construction material. Neighbors immediately painted their homes with our excess paint, and residents saved all scrap wood for winter kindling.”

The students served with volunteers from as far away as Alaska, California and Arkansas. The volunteers were dispersed into groups of six, each member from a different location across the country. Incoming senior Samantha Ferraro explained:

“The kids in my home were my age, about seventeen and eighteen. Listening to us talk about college, they casually mentioned that it wasn’t an option for them and they were better off learning the artistic trades of their parents to profit off of tourists as a livelihood. It was sad to know they never even have access to the opportunities we take for granted.”

The eyes of everyone involved were opened a little wider, as the youth embraced the natural beauty yet experienced the harsh living conditions on the Navajo reservation.

Principal's Blog: Advisory, Freshmen Orientation, Athletics & More

The first week of school is both exciting and chaotic.  Efficiency must have an elastic quality during this week as we aim to have all the disruptions that accompany the start of school completed in week one.  Freshmen orientation, Advisory, multiple safety and evacuation drills, student pictures, and freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior class meetings were all completed in the three days of school this week.  

During class meetings we reviewed the student handbook and highlighted the most important policies and procedures.  Students left with a copy of the GDRHS Student Handbook Highlights and details on how to access the complete document online.  They also went home with the Nurse's Office Emergency Card and a copy of our Acceptable Use Policy. All documents need to be signed and returned.  In addition, I talked about the need for students to be leaders.  I showed them a short Ted Talk that neatly summarized the essence of my discussion. I have included a link to that video for your review. 

Drew Dudley: Everyday Leadership 
http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en

Advisory Information

For those who are not aware, Advisory is a high school program that is designed to meet the following mission.

"The GDRHS Advisory Program for the school year 2015-16 is designed to promote school spirit and enable our students and staff to develop meaningful relationships in a small group setting.  Combining our collective initiative, ideas, and resources we aim to reach beyond our school walls to not only strengthen our GD community but also make a positive difference in addressing the unmet needs around us.” 

The Advisory theme for the school year is community service, and we intend to keep the service as local as possible.  With this in mind, the next Advisory will be on the 17th of September and we are asking students to bring in non-perishable items that will benefit the Loaves and Fishes food pantry. 

We want students and staff to enjoy the Advisory Program, and we intend to incorporate challenges and competitions whenever possible. Advisory class will meet twice a month for 30 minutes, and Thursday, September 3rd was our first meeting.  The culminating competition required students to build a free-standing tower using only their shoes.  If you wish to see pictures from the competition please follow the link provided.  

https://drive.google.com/a/gdrsd.org/file/d/0B3QeV_3XxgdvX2RmVWJaTWI5MWJwa29FOUFDM1NfclVydUdZ/view?usp=sharing


Freshmen Orientation
Freshmen orientation was a great success.  I want to thank all the upperclassmen who donated their time and effort to welcome our incoming freshmen. A special thanks to Katie Ferro, Peter McLaughlin, Emily Acone, Catherine de Groot, Emma Demers, Julianna Elmasri, and Katherine Thompson.  Furthermore, we welcomed 16 students from across the globe as part of our international student program, and they also participated in the events of  the day.  It is a great way to welcome our new students. If you would like to see pictures and videos highlighting the the events of the day follow the link provided.  https://goo.gl/4zinfe

Athletics Update
By Michael McCaffrey

Boys Soccer hosted Royal Grammar School of Newcastle England in a scrimmage yesterday at GDRHS. It was a spirited competition that displayed tremendous sportsmanship. Afterwards, both teams retreated to the house of a GDRHS soccer player to enjoy a meal and a swim to celebrate this international event.

News Coverage of the game
bcove.me/rtuc50fu 

http://www.lowellsun.com/sports/ci_28743681/g-d-entertains-royal-opponent

Sports Information Night
High School Fall Parent Sports Information Night will be held Tuesday, September 8th in the Black Box Theater at GDRHS. http://gdrsd.org/crusader-athletics/

GD Arts Boosters
By Sue Hampton

The Groton-Dunstable Arts Boosters are ready to start another year of supporting the very talented students at GDRHS and we are planning to hold our first meeting on Monday, September 14^th. We plan to meet on the front common of the high school to make it as convenient as possible for you all to attend.

We will meet at 3:00 and talk about our plans to help foster the Arts for the school year of 2015-16. We will also be electing officers. Don’t miss it! Hope to see you there!

Student Produces Shakespeare in the Park performance

http://gdrsd.org/gdrhs/2015/08/28/student-produces-shakespeare-in-the-park-performance/

Welcome Back Art Exhibits at GDRHS

http://gdrsd.org/gdrhs/2015/09/02/welcome-back-art-exhibits-at-gdrhs/

New Website
Special thanks to Luke Callahan and the Technology Department for creating a fantastic website.  Follow the link to see the new and improved website.  

http://gdrsd.org/gdrhs/

Check Out Our Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Groton-Dunstable-Regional-High-School/125405274274341

Welcome Back Art Exhibits

GDRSD: Welcome Back Art Exhibits

By Mr O'Connor and Ms Kostich

Students returning to School (or venturing in for the first time this week) will have plenty of artwork to enjoy.   Nearly a dozen  exhibits are up on display featuring notable work from last semester.    The Front Commons, Library, Studio Room 216 and Black and White Photo Room 220 feature a variety of work.  Here are some highlights:

Advanced Design 3D Spaceship Series.

Library

Christian Curll (2016) Dreamed up several fantasy spaceships using Blender, a 3D software Program as part of an independent design series.   He initially collaborated with Nicholas Odell (2014) who drafted a series of conceptual sketches.  One of the models was slated as the first printout for our New Makerbot Replicator 3D printer.  This printer came to us last year through the generosity of GDEF for our "STEAM Design Initiative."  STEAM is our preferred expansion of STEM which recognizes art alongside technology, engineering and math when we consider that good design goes beyond function and considers elegance of forms.  Spaceships are a great pilot project (no pun intended).  The futuristic vessel is one that can have imaginative elements while still needing to imply operational capability.    

Art Selection: Drawing, Painting, Design And Photography

Front Commons Display Cases

  

A wide range of work from our course offerings is featured in the glass display cases in the front commons. Featured here is "Metamorphosis" Art I Accordion book.  This book above was made by Meghan ODell (Class of 2018) and combines printing and bookmaking craft.  Students carve multiple images into a linoleum block and have to make a transition from one image to the next over six panels. This involves overlapping and mixing of inks.  Students also design and wrap the book covers which can be sealed via button and string.   

Class Day and Graduation Brochures: Advanced Design 

Front Commons.

Students respond to many of our public design challenges.   Two of the most high profile designs are the Graduation Brochure and the Senior Class Night Brochure. Celina Diette's (2015)  submission is featured above.  This special effects illustration was engineered with Adobe Photoshop and was selected last years class brochure cover.  A range of notable submissions are featured downstairs.  Additionally, we are grateful to the Groton Dunstable Arts Boosters who awarded the High School a grant to frame student work for public display in administrative offices.  As a result these brochures will be featured in Principal Mastrullo's office this year and will be updated next year for the class of 2016.

Long Shutter Photography: Light, Figure Spirit.

Photo II, Second Floor Display Case, C Wing

Advanced photography students combined in groups to rehearse long exposure shutter photography and respond to the challenge to create a sense of spirit.  Photos are taken in near darkness, which allows more time to pass when the photograph is being captured.  The piece above by Sara Latario (2017) and Amelia Onishi (2017) is one of many digital rehearsals for their final black and white print which was developed using traditional film and photo chemicals.  These black and white prints have a rich surface due to the silver in the paper and must be seen directly to fully appreciate. 

Alternative Photo Installations

Various Locations: Library, Hallway, Room 220

Advanced Photography Students were challenged to feature their work in an unusual way or explore an alternative process.  Responses ranged from an enlarged print on the darkroom door of fire rings (George Collarullo 2017) to a hidden exhibit in the C wing hallway (Emma Demers 2018). Hint: Get close to the empty display case and its under your nose.  Jon Frey (2017) constructed a series of three hanging portraits that are suspended on the shelves of the library. Depending on the angle these are viewed at, we see two different sides of the person featured and can consider that the  true emotional states of others typically remain hidden if we are unobservant in our daily exchanges.

2015 Spain Trip Photography

2nd Floor, C Wing

Large digital prints by students and chaperones capture the trip to Spain and take us on an epic journey From Barcelona to Granada.   This EF trip was a language themed adventure so students had a chance to learn or improve their Spanish at EF's school in Barcelona by cooking, touring and shopping in local markets.  Incredible art, food and culture make Spain unforgettable.  There are many EF trips planned for the future so be sure to investigate if you dream of seeing the world.

Welcome Back

Dear GDRHS Parents and Guardians:

It is with great anticipation and optimism that we open our doors for the 2015-2016 school year.  In less than a week we will greet our incoming freshmen, welcome our returning sophomore and junior classes, and look to our Class of 2016 to provide the leadership necessary to make every student’s high school experience positive and memorable. We begin this school year with a dedicated learning community in place, all working towards the common goal of keeping Groton-Dunstable High School among the top performing in Massachusetts and the country.

Our objective is to prepare students for the competitive 21^st Century global environment, and we aim to assist them in developing into productive, prosperous global citizens.  As a team and also as individuals, we will continue to work hard to meet the mission of the school: 

We foster academic and personal excellence in cooperation with the community. Through an evolving curriculum, we cultivate skills and attitudes that encourage students to develop a spirit of inquiry, the disposition to adapt to changing environments, and the intrinsic motivation to become responsible, contributing citizens.

The Global Scholars Program was developed to help marshal us towards this honorable mission, and one primary component of the program is the growing international student program, now in its fourth year at GD.  Over the past three years we have hosted more than fifty international students, and each student has added diversity to our hallways, enhanced our classroom discussions, and enriched our community.  This fall we welcome sixteen more students from Asia, Europe and South America.  In addition, more than one hundred Groton-Dunstable Regional High School students will traverse the globe during the course of the coming school year.  Students will take part in a language immersion trip in France, a cultural immersion trip to Greece, a science expedition to the Amazon, a leadership summit in The Hague, and service learning trips to both the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.  Lastly, as part of the Teachers of Critical Languages program through the United States Department of State, we welcome a teacher from China who will teach courses in Mandarin. 

All of our goals support the overarching objective of preparing Groton-Dunstable Regional High School students for their future. Preparing our students to compete in the 21st Century is a monumental task that requires a hardworking, dedicated staff committed to student achievement. That challenge begins soon, and I am confident we are worthy of the challenge. Continuing the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, continuing our work on the Global Scholars initiative, expanding and strengthening our AP program, providing our talented staff with ongoing professional development, increasing student exposure to computer science, coding, and robotics are but a few of the initiatives targeting our goals.

Three necessary components of any successful school systems are safety, organization, and high expectations for learning. I assure you that these three factors will guide our daily decision-making in the months and years ahead. I look forward to your input, participation, and support as we work together to achieve our goals. In an effort to enhance our academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs, parent and community involvement are both welcome and needed. I look forward to meeting and working with each and every one of you.

Sincerely,

Michael Mastrullo      

Student Schedules & More

SchoolBrains

We have worked with the provider, our administrative staff, and our IT department to provide you with a new community portal. The GDRSD Community Portal is now live! Click here for the website. You will be receiving an email from SchoolBrains@gdrsd.org with your login and password information for the SchoolBrains Community Portal.  These emails are automatically generated and we suspect those will go out this evening. If you do not receive an email from SchoolBrains by Sunday, August 30th, please email SchoolBrains@gdrsd.org.

When you sign into this portal, you will be able to access your child's schedule.  The schedules will be found in the drop down option under the "Student Portal" or "Parent Portal" tabs. 

Athletic Update

ImPACT TESTING FOR GD ATHLETES

The GD Athletic Department offered ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing for interested fall athletes leading up to this weeks opening of high school sports in the District.  This cognitive testing is the “most-widely used, and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system” in the marketplace and was completely funded by a grant from the Groton-Dunstable Athletic Booster Club.

20 GD students took advantage of this testing at GDRHS over 5 days leading up to this years fall tryouts which began in earnest today.  Over the past 2 ½ years, we have tested over 200 students participating in our high school athletic programs.  This test is useful for a 2 year period with results stored in a database accessible by our Certified Athletic Trainer, Steve Kleeman.  Mr. Kleeman, should there be a concussion or concern over acquiring one, has the ability to directly forward a student's test results, at the request of our families, to a primary care physician.

While the ImPACT test does not prevent concussions from occurring, it certainly can provide peace of mind for families and athletes alike. We look forward scheduling additional ImPACT test dates throughout the 2015-16 academic year for interested students.  For more information on the test itself, please click here.