• Shawsheen Valley Technical High School

    Principal's Update

    Friday, January 19, 2024

     

    Dear Shawsheen Students, Parents/Guardians, and Colleagues,  

     

    Please join me in congratulating the SVTHS Seniors of the month for October, November, and December (listed and pictured below). Students were nominated by their teachers and will be recognized by the Billerica Lodge of Elks during an awards ceremony in May, when the Senior of the Year award will also be announced. Go Rams!

    October

    • Jasmine Johansen - Health Assisting
    • Methun Thayaaparan - Drafting

    November

    • Sarah Johansen - Electronics/Engineering Technology
    • Nicholas Gerasimov - Plumbing

    December

    • Addison Dunham - Health Assisting
    • Morgan Gilman - Electrical

    som

     

    Sophomore Presentation

    A sophomore class meeting was held today to review information regarding the PSAT10, concurrent enrollment courses, and MCAS. Click on the following link to view the information from today's presentation: Sophomore Presentation - Friday, January 19, 2024.

     

    Two Free ELA MCAS Preparation Programs

    The following message is from Ms. Jessica Brierley, MCAS Remediation Coordinator:

    Last week, the principal’s update contained a flyer with information about the Rams Academy MCAS Preparation Program. Shawsheen Tech is excited to offer this program that takes place over the February vacation week. If this timeframe does not fit your schedule there will be an additional, free MCAS preparation program after-school beginning in February and concluding in March. Please see the PDF document below that highlights both the Rams Academy Vacation Program and the ELA After-School MCAS Preparation workshop. Attendance of these programs is strongly encouraged for all sophomore students. The Department of Secondary Education’s decision to increase in the score threshold over the past several years, further emphasizes the significance of attendance. If you have any questions regarding these programs, do not hesitate to reach out to me directly by clicking on this link.

     

    Juniors & Seniors Eligible for National Honor Society (NHS) and National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) Have Been Notified 

    The following message was sent to eligible juniors & seniors by NHS & NTHS advisors, Ms. Doucette & Ms. Marshall:

    I am pleased to notify you of your eligibility to apply for Shawsheen’s National Honor Society (NHS) and National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) chapters. While this is a first step in your candidacy for both organizations, this does NOT mean you are in NHS/NTHS. We will explain next steps, the goals of both organizations, and provide applications for those interested in a meeting held Thursday and Friday of homeroom this week in room 506. Attending one of these meetings is MANDATORY. It is your responsibility to attend one meeting or communicate with us separately if you cannot attend. If you have any additional question please email us.  

     

    SVTHS Robotics Team Earns Second Place at the VEX VRC Winter Classic Tournament

    The following message is from Robotics Club Advisor, Ms. Tanya Baron:

    The Robotics Team, consisting of freshmen, sophomores and juniors lead by senior captains, attended the VEX VRC Winter Classic Tournament on January 6th.  Although only first place qualifies for regionals, we did an outstanding job representing Shawsheen at Mashpee Middle High School seeding well and coming in second. Early on, we were a clear contender even capturing top rank at one point.  It was extremely fast paced and the teams met the challenge with hard work, sportsmanship, know-how, and most of all good humor. The assistant advisor, Collin Powers, was instrumental in providing play-by-play statistics with defensive and offensive tactics. Special guest, former advisor, Matt Natale joined us for the day bolstering our esprit de corps, providing alliance strategy and camaraderie. The students were ecstatic and I couldn't be prouder of team 5313.

    Team Members:

    Alice Bollinger  Jared Gardner (Captain)
    John Canadas  Wyatt Holmes 
    Jonathan Chisholm  Destinee Jeanty 
    John DiPietropolo (Captain) Nicholas Leite (Captain)
    Nicholas DiPietropolo  Noah Martin 
    Kevin Dusablon  Alyvia Rowsky 
    Benjamin Edeburn  Adam San Clemente (Captain)
    Brendan Ferrone  Aidan Shanahan 

     

     

    Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) Announces New Parenting Solutions Library

    The following message is from MPY:

    Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive.

    Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and the trainings focus on child and adolescent development, including difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, racism, and grief. These trainings present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change.

     

    Reminder: Attention Juniors! Upcoming College Rep Visits

    The following information is from the SVTHS Guidance Department:

    The Shawsheen Tech Guidance Department will be hosting college admissions representatives throughout the month of January and February. College representatives will be available for small group question & answer sessions. Please check Naviance regularly as colleges are scheduling visits on an ongoing basis. 

     

    Reminder: Replacement Laptop Chargers and Pens Available for Purchase

    The following message is from the SVTHS Ed Tech Department:

    Any student who has lost their laptop charger or laptop pen can now purchase replacements for these items at the Rams Pride School Store. The store is open every day during student lunches.

     

    Best,

    Jessica Cook

    (she/her)

    Principal

     

    Quick Links:

     

    Reminders:

    • Friday, January 26: Registration deadline for PSAT10
    • Friday, January 26: End of Quarter 2
    • February 1: Application Deadline for the Class of 2028
    • Thursday, February 8: School Council Meeting at 2:15pm in School Committee Room
    • Wednesday, February 14: Half-day for students - 10:43am dismissal    
    • Wednesday, February 14: Monthly staff meeting at 2:15pm
    • February 19-23: NO SCHOOL
    • Friday, March 1: Q3 Mid-term 
    • Tuesday, March 5: PSAT10