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THE SPARTAN NEWS

η φωνή των τότε οι άνθρωποι (Voice of the People)

New Hartford Senior High School

33 Oxford Road

New Hartford, NY 13413

315-624-1214 FAX 315-624-1209

Mr. Mark Benson, Principal

Mr. Tim Crowe, Dean of Students October 2016

New Hartford Senior High School Earns

National Blue Ribbon School Designation

New Hartford Senior High School has earned the highest national honor a public school

may receive from the United States Department of Education. The high school has been

named a "2016 National Blue Ribbon School." The school was one of nine high schools

recognized in New York State. This ranking demonstrates that what we are doing in New

Hartford is producing some of the best results in the United States. To put this into per-

spective, the school is one of 54 high schools recognized in the nation. It is truly an honor

to have our efforts recognized at this level.

Since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has afforded the federal govern-

ment the opportunity to honor the most effective and innovative schools in America, noting

that the "Blue Ribbon" distinction also "celebrates some of the most skilled and effective

educators in the country." New Hartford Senior High principal Mark Benson, accompanied

by his academic department chairs, will attend the National Blue Ribbon Awards Ceremony

on November 8, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Benson states "New Hartford Senior High

School is honored to be named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. We are fortunate to

be part of an amazing school system and community that places a high value on educa-

tion." Recognizing the teamwork involved in earning such merit, Benson explains that "It is

important to recognize the students, teachers, staff and parents of the New Hartford School

District for their years of dedication and hard work, which have allowed New Hartford Sen-

ior High School to earn this prestigious recognition ."

New Hartford Senior High is being honored in the

"Exemplary High Performing School" category. Over-

all, student achievement in standardized tests, gradu-

ation rate, and attendance must be exemplary to be

initially considered a National Blue Ribbon School.

This is the school district's second National Blue Rib-

bon Award; Ralph Perry Junior High School earned a

similar distinction in 2008.

Superintendent of Schools, Robert J. Nole states,

"We are delighted to be awarded the 2016 National

Blue Ribbon Award. Although it is the high school

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CALENDAR

OCTOBER 7TH

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

FOR NOVEMBER SAT

OCTOBER 10TH

COLUMBUS DAY—NO

SCHOOL

OCTOBER 11TH

JUNIORS - PHOTOS IN THE

HS LIBRARY

OCTOBER 12TH

SOPHOMORES—PHOTOS

IN THE HS LIBRARY

OCTOBER 13TH

PTSA MEETING AT 7:00 PM

IN THE HIGH SCHOOL LI-

BRARY

OCTOBER 15TH

SPARTAN SPECTACULAR

AT 6:00 PM ON THE TURF

PSAT 8:00 AM

OCTOBER 18TH

BOARD OF EDUCATION

MEETING AT 7:00 PM

OCTOBER 30TH

FIELD BAND CHAMPION-

SHIPS AT THE DOME IN

SYRACUSE

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Mr. Mark Benson, Principal

Mr. Tim Crowe, Dean of Students October2016

Emma Clive

San Antonio Bound!

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- Congratulations to New Hartford Senior High School Musi-cian, Emma Clive (pictured left) who successfully auditioned to represent her school at the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in San Antonio, Texas in January. Only 125 high school students are selected for the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band each year, out of thousands of applicants. Clive, a mellophone player, will perform at the halftime show of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl . Clive will also be honored at New Hartford Senior High School in front of classmates, friends and fam-ily on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:20 a.m. There, she will receive her honorary marching band jacket in a special recognition ceremony. The New Hartford High School March-ing Band senior will fly to San Antonio, TX on January 2nd and rehearse for several days with the rest of the band for the January 7th, 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl which will air live on NBC from 12:00 to 3:00pm. The complete

halftime show will be webcast at www.bandirector.com. Last year, the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of 39,121 to the Alamodome. For 17 years, the national high school football game has served as a launching pad for America's future college and NFL stars. Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck and Adrian Peterson made national debuts as U.S. Army All -Americans.

Emma Clive

National Merit Scholarship News High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the

Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)—a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.6 million entrants each year—and by meeting published program entry and participation require-ments. In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses. About 16,000 students, or ap-proximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. They are the highest scoring entrants in each state. NMSC provides scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools. To be considered for a National Merit® Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the information provided to each Semifinalist. Katie Farkouh has been named a semi-finalist . Joseph Wu and Jared Bedell are pictured below receiving their letters of commendation from high school principal, Mark Benson.

Katie Farkouh Mark Benson and Joseph Wu (right) Mark Benson and Jared Bedell (left)

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The 44th Annual Spartan Spectacular Takes Place on October 15th

Congratulations to the Marching Spartans for a spectacu-lar start to their season. The band continues to improve week after week and recently enjoyed a trip to the NYC area. October 1st, the band placed 2nd in a marching band competition held in Hornell, NY.

The 44th annual Spartan Spectacular will take place at the New Hartford High School Stadium on Saturday, October 15th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $8.00 each and are available at the gate.

photo by J.F. Walters

NHMB Drum Majors 2016 Emma Moger (Junior) & Jordyn Gardinier (Senior)

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications Are available on the district website. From the homepage at newhartfordschools.org, click on Departments then Food Service. Then click on the Free and Reduced Lunch Application. Or...you may go directly to the link http://newhartfordschools.org/domain/61. You may also pick up a hard copy of the application from the counseling office. Remember you must reapply for this benefit each year, even if your child received free/reduced lunches at school last year.

Blue Ribbon Honors...Continued

that is officially recognized, our success is the result of

the efforts of students, teachers, administrators and

support staff working collaboratively in all five of our

schools."

The award process required a comprehensive review of the school's curriculum and instruction; a detailed ac-count of the history of the district and the New Hartford community as a whole; a description of the high school's culture; and an understanding of how faculty, staff, parent, and student efforts combine to create suc-cessful graduates. As Nole explains, the entire commu-nity shares in the Senior High's honor. "We are a team, and we do whatever it takes to help our students achieve success academically, socially and emotional-ly. Credit goes to all of the teachers at every grade level throughout our school district, to our parents, communi-ty members and especially our student body who is so passionate about their own education. The 2016 Na-tional Blue Ribbon Award is a fitting testament to a Board of Education and community committed to edu-cational excellence. It is a tradition that has spanned generations."

For more information on the program, and to read New

Hartford Senior High's 2016 National Blue Ribbon

Award Profile, please visit:

http://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/

winnina/16nv233ou new hartford senior high

school.html

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News From the Counseling & Guidance De-partment...

September has been a busy month for the Counselors. They started talking with students at the class meetings. During class meetings counselors were able to let students know about upcoming Counseling Department activities along with sharing PSAT information with sophomores and juniors.

The counselors held workshops for parents/guardians of juniors and seniors prior to Back-to-School Night. They were able to shed light on the College Application Process for seniors including requesting teacher recommenda-tions, requesting transcripts, the role of Naviance in the process, and submitting applications electronically. The families of juniors were able to learn about the Post-secondary Planning process during the junior year includ-ing a timeline and activities for the year, college admission testing (the new PSAT, SAT, redesigned SAT, & ACT) and they were able to see how Naviance can assist in the col-lege search process. All handouts and workshop infor-mation is available on the Counseling and Guidance webpage under Forms & Documents (http://www.newhartfordschools.org/Page/2670).

The counselors have had small group sessions with the seniors on what the procedures are for the college appli-cation process, how to get teacher recommendations, and how use Naviance in the college search/application pro-cess. Senior Reviews, an opportunity for each senior to meet individually with his/her counselor to discuss what progress has been made toward a post secondary plan and answer specific questions about the college applica-tion process, will take place during the end of September/ beginning of October. Counselors will be using Naviance to transmit school documentation to the colleges in each student’s Family Connection application list. Many college admissions representatives also visit our school in the fall. For the list of scheduled visits, please check our calendar online at http://www.newhartfordschools.org/Page/270. Seniors should register to meet with college reps through Naviance then get a pass form Mrs. Faber in the Counsel-ing Office or their counselor.

Information regarding what courses are needed to gradu-ate along with anticipated diploma type has been mailed to seniors. If you have questions or concerns regarding this, please contact your child’s counselor.

On September 28th the counselors welcomed Melissa Rose from SUNY Poly who presented a Financial Aid Workshop to parents/guardian of juniors and seniors. She presented information from the basic financial aid terms to the pro-cess. She also gave useful tips on what families need to be

doing. The most important point was WATCH deadlines! As you visit college web sites, take note of their various application deadline dates for merit scholarships, need- based financial assistance and other opportunities. To re-ceive need-based financial aid, colleges require the FAFSA and sometimes the CSS PROFILE. It is important to check the requirements for each college you are planning on applying to as deadlines vary. For this year’s seniors the FAFSA is able to be filed as of October 1, 2016. You can log on to www.fafsa.ed.gov for complete information. The CSS PROFILE may be accessed through www.collegeboard.com. It is important to connect with the financial aid office of each college for any financial aid questions. They will have answers to college specific ques-tions.

College Night will be held on Tuesday, October 11th, from 6:30 to 8:30pm at MVCC. RFA will have most of the same colleges at their College Night on Wednesday, October 12th, from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Attending College Night is a great way to gather information.

Faculty and Staff Achievers High school math teacher, Mark McFarland (right), will be presenting at a Master Teacher Workshop host-ed here at the high school later this month. Christine Krumbach (left), recently taking over duties as high school choir teacher, and Susan Mo-

jave (below right), James A. Meyer Perform-ing Arts Center manager, will be per-forming in the upcoming, award win-ning musical, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU. The show is in November and is hosted by M. Proctor Theater Guild at Grace Church.

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Key Club International Holds 1st Meeting of the Year: New Members Attend

The New Hartford HS Key Club had their first meeting of the school year with a welcoming pizza luncheon. Meetings take place each Wednesday during lunch in the Orchestra/Choir Room. Members will be volunteering at the Alex Kogut 5k next Sunday, October 9th at SUNY IT and will host the Annual Halloween Carnival for our Elementary Students on Friday, Oc-

tober 28th. Two Blood Drives are scheduled on November

1st and April 26th in the HS Gym. All students are welcome to join to help our New Hartford Community. Key Club is the old-est and largest service program for high school students in the world. It has more than 270,000 members in 5,000 clubs in 37 countries. Key Club is an international student-led organization which pro-vides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership. The core values of Key Club International are leadership, character building, caring and in-clusiveness.

Pictured are 2016-17 Officers. Left to right Zach Smith, Vice President, Marc Gabriel, Secretary, Alice Cho, President, and Emmy Chen, Treasurer

Key Club Blood Drives scheduled: November 1st and April 26th in the HS Gym.

Age Matters You may donate if you are at least 17

years old (16 years old with written consent from parent or legal guardian), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health.

Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally The Spartan Nation gathered on Thursday, September 29 for the annual Homecoming Parade, Pep Rally, and Bonfire. Fall sports teams were intro-duced and the cheerleaders entertained the crowd with the assistance of some brave football players. After the ritu-al pie in the face contest, students proceeded to the bon-fire enjoying treats provided by the PTSA and Football Boosters. The event was coordinated by Student Council.

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Yearbook Photograph Information:

Senior Photograph Information: In order to guarantee that your student’s photograph will be in the 2017 Yearbook, all Senior yearbook photos must be turned in no later than Monday, October 3, 2016. Late photos will NOT be accepted without prior approval. All Senior photographs submitted to the Yearbook should be a head and shoulders shot photographed against a tradi-tional background. No horizontal style portraits will be accepted. Please make sure the photograph does not in-clude props, such as, flowers or hats. If you are having a problem finding a photographer that can meet this dead-line, please contact the yearbook adviser at yearbook@nhart.org. Photographs should be sub-mitted digitally, if possible, on a CD or as an e-mail attach-ment to yearbook@nhart.org with your student’s name clearly indicated in the subject line and the file name. The dimensions of the image should be at least 2” wide x 3” high with a resolution of 300 ppi or higher. If your photog-rapher is not able submit a digital image, please submit a wallet-sized or larger photograph to the yearbook adviser or editors before October 3, 2016. If you should have any questions, please e-mail yearbook@nhart.org.

Junior and Sophomore Photograph Information: Underclassman photos will be taken in October for the 2016-2017 school year. Please be sure to take note of the following dates for your student’s portrait: Junior class photographs will be taken on Tuesday, Octo-ber 11, 2016. Sophomore class photographs will be taken on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. All photographs will be taken in the High School Library, from 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. A schedule with your student's name, date and time will be posted at school the week prior to photos. If there is a scheduling conflict, students may report at a more convenient time during that day or on the alternate day. DeNicola Photography will remain in the library during lunch to accommodate scheduling con-

flicts. Please encourage your student to report for his/her yearbook photo; the guidance office also uses these pho-tographs for identification purposes. Photo retakes will not be scheduled until after the first photos are back from the photographer. If you have any questions or concerns during the year, please feel free to contact the yearbook adviser at yearbook@nhart.org. Please remember, only pre-paid orders are guaranteed a year-book in the spring. If you have any questions or concerns during the year, please feel free to contact the yearbook adviser at yearbook@nhart.org. If you should have any questions re-garding the ordering process, please e-mail the yearbook advi-sor at yearbook@nhart.org.

Cell Phones may be used before

school, during lunch, after school and between classes. They may be used in study hall to listen to music, text, or search the Internet at the teacher’s dis-cretion. Unauthorized use or use during classes will result in disciplinary conse-quences.

Attendance Reminder: When your child must be absent, please call our 24-hour attendance number at 624-1210 or email lcun-ning@nhart.org. All instances of absence, early release for appointments or tardiness require a parent/guardian excuse. The excuse may be presented in written, elec-tronic or credible verbal form. Students failing to present an excuse or communication with a parent or guardian may be subject to disciplinary consequences.

High School Newsletters Will Not Be Mailed...Will Be Available Online Only You will be notified via email each month when the news-letter becomes available on the school website. Please make sure we have a current, valid email address as much of our communication is now electronic. If you prefer a hard copy be mailed to you, please call the main office at 624-1248.