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Winter Spirit Week is a few weeks away but it is never too early to get your theme outfits ready or get excited for the events! Details below:

THEME DAYS:

• Mon December 17: PJ Day
  
• Tues December 18: Ugly Sweater Day
• Weds December 19: Festive Holiday Outfit

• Thurs December 19: Flannel Day
  
• Fri December 20: Blizzard/White Out Day

EVENTS:

• Mon December 17: Movie Night featuring "Elf" - 6:30pm-8:30pm in the auditorium ($2 entry)
  
• Tues December 18: Ugly Sweater Competition - @ Lunch - Cafeteria
• Weds December 19: Holiday Spirit Workshop - 3:15pm-5:15pm - Cafeteria (Make a gift for free!)
• Fri December 20: Cafe Karaoke - @ Lunch - Cafeteria

Perhaps we will have a mild winter? Perhaps we won't. Regardless, the 90 and 120-minute delay bell schedules have been created!

Click Here for the 90 & 120-Minute Delay Bell Schedules

The Oak Street Academy celebrated Thanksgiving as a family on Monday, November 19th - with many of the people who are so special to our students and program. It was a great chance to break bread and count our blessings together with Ms. Koslowsky, Officer Clarke, Mr. Burkhead, Ms. Maguire, Ms Girolamo, Ms. Police, the Guidance Department, Mr. Herring and Mr. Seeley, Mr. Travaligno, Mr. Williams, alumni Zach Sorensen, Mr. Hartley, and others. The kids also made plates for some who could not be here with us - and to others who were in class etc. - we thank you for your ongoing support! Also a special thank you to Ms. Freitas for all her help in the kitchen - and the table decorations. And finally to Nicole Camp, Alison Burton, Robin Titus and Caitlyn Mullins for the hours of organizing, collaborating with the students and bringing in delicious turkeys and food! Miss Kerri and I couldn't be more proud of everyone! While we are Oak Street Academy - the great turnout clearly shows how much a part of the Monomoy family we are! This is truly a home away from home for all of us!!!

Interact Club members Aidan Kotoski, Mariah Benoit, Supriah Rai, and Youmi Rai enjoyed a Thanksgiving luncheon at the Wayside Inn. This fellowship gathering was sponsored by the Chatham Rotary Club and included about 90 guests from the Chatham Council on Aging. Many thanks, Ms. Freitas

• Monomoy will be extremely well represented at the All-Cape and Island Music Festival!
  In the Treble Choir: Emily Blake, Jillian O’leary, Haley Kelsey, Olivia Prisco
  In the SATB Choir: Marina Blaksteen, Samantha Dunford, Phoebe Gill, Lauren Morris, Audrey Smith, Sage Barnes, Abigail Jason, Brienna Notaro, Ashlee Shuemaker, Nicholas Blute, Isaiah Stafford, Hayden Bowman, Dylan Delaney, Aidan Melton, George Spalt, Asa St. Aubin
  In the Orchestra: Kaitlyn Germann (Bass Clarinet 1st chair)
  In the Concert Band: Angelica Velasquez (1st Flute 4th chair), Sarah Blake (1st Clarinet 2nd chair), Amalia Marjollet (2nd Clarinet 1st chair), Taylor Morris (1st Bassoon 1st chair)

• The following students successfully auditioned for Senior Southeast Music Festival!
  For Choir: Haley Kelsey, Ashlee Shuemaker, Nicholas Blute, Isaiah Stafford, George Spalt, Hayden Bowman, Aiden Melton
  For Band: Kaitlyn Germann (Bass Clarinet 2nd chair)
  Hayley Kelsey, George Spalt, and Kaitlyn Germann all scored high enough to get all state recommendations!

• Sage Barnes was also accepted to the All Eastern Music Festival Chorus! She will represent Monomoy Regional High School in April, when she travels to Pittsburgh, PA. (Pictured here)
  

Olivia Hart donated a gingerbread house to the festival of trees which will benefit the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. Mariah Benoit and Molly Gramm are helping with the finishing touches! Thank you for being a part of this great fundraiser! The Festival runs all weekend at White Flowers in Harwich Port. Come bid on the beautiful trees and gingerbread houses and get in the holiday spirit.

MRHS successfully completed the first half of our second Spanish/American School-to-School Exchange on 11/29/18. Ten students and two teachers from Vigo, Spain spent twelve days with Monomoy families experiencing the Thanksgiving holiday and our rich New England culture. During the school days, our guests had the opportunity to: enjoy a fun-filled day at school, visit the Plimoth Plantation, participate in a cooking class at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, eat lunch at Quincy Market and learn about the history of Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, and explore the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The field trips and meals were made possible thanks to generous donations from the Art of Charity, Rotary Club of Yarmouth, Rotary Club of Harwich-Dennis, Dunkin Donuts- Harwich Port, and the Harwich Cultural Council. We would also like to thank: Mr. Burkhead, Superintendent Carpenter, and the MRSD School Committee for approving this experience; Claire Hooper and Katie Kelly for assistance with the busses and purchase orders; the teachers who opened and/or offered their classrooms to our guests: Bernadette Waystack, Deb Donovan, Rich Houston, Bob Smeltzer, Kari Flint, Marcus De La Vega, Jane Costello, Melinda Jones, David Alexander, Lisa Forte-Doyle, and Sarah Wheaton; our supporters: Mr. and Mrs. Travaglino, Steve Gallien, Susan Whitcomb, Mr. and Mrs. Koehn, the Harwich Children's Fund/Friends of Harwich Youth, Peter Moynagh, Caroline Freitas, Domino's in Harwich, the MRHS custodial staff, and Kat Szmit; our Spanish guests; our MRHS families who planned the dessert reception, hosted students, and went above and beyond to provide memorable experiences for all of the Spanish guests: the Dery family, the Sheeran family, the Davock family, the Marjollet family, the Cohrs/Sneed family, the Fritsch/Bailey family, the Van Essendelft family, the Slater family, the Morse family, the Potter family, the Murphy family, the Howard family, the Buffington/Morris family, the Comeau family, and the Chizek family. Finally, a special thank you to my hero, Leslie Chizek, for hosting the Spanish teachers, and tirelessly organizing and supporting the exchange process from beginning to end - twice! It takes a village!

Take a look at our photos in the following link, and stay tuned for a report and photos from the second half of our exchange experience in late February 2019! Sincerely, Señorita Hoff

https://photos.app.goo.gl/h6sXwgndvQmVuh2D7

The Monomoy School District was privileged to have Dr. Robert Brooks visit in October. He has featured MRSD in his November newsletter. Please click the link to view this wonderful article!

http://www.drrobertbrooks.com/kindness/

Awesome turnout for the new Monomoy student lunch on Friday, November 30th! Thank you to all who came for bingo and friendship! The lunch was organized by Monomoy student council and Peer Mentors. Advisors JoAnne Weekes and Betsy Casey we’re very pleased with the welcome lunch! Stay tuned for monthly after school socials starting in January.

AP students brought Ms. Hemeon a Corner Store breakfast burrito for her birthday this morning!

Private Jonathan Frisbie, USMC, was looking sharp in his Marines uniform when he stopped by to visit!

TIME: 7pm

WHERE: MRHS Auditorium

Wear your PJ's to school!

TIME: 6:30pm-8:30pm

WHERE: Auditorium

Movie Night featuring 'Elf'

$2 Entry (includes concession item)

Wear your ugliest sweater today!

TIME: during lunches
WHERE: cafeteria

Wear your ugliest sweater for theme day and try to win the Ugly Sweater competition at your lunch!

Bring on the festive outfits!

TIME: 3:15pm-5:15pm
WHERE: Cafeteria

Make a gift for FREE!!!

Bust out the flannel shirts/pants/scarves/hats/anything!

Wear white!

TIME: during lunches

WHERE: Cafeteria

Cafe Karaoke at lunch! Sing some holiday tunes!

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, December 24th to Tuesday, January 1st for Winter Break. Enjoy your week with families and friends!

We return to school on Wednesday, January 2nd.

TIME: 7pm

WHERE: MRHS Auditorium

Our MRHS Alumni come back to perform!

There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 21st for Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Enjoy your long weekend and celebrate & remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

WHERE: Cultural Center of Cape Cod

A special Rise and Shine Exhibit of original graphic Ts by students from Monomoy Regional High School Alternative Learning Program, in the Vault from November 14-December 2.

More information here: https://www.cultural-center.org/product/reception-for-exhibits-by-the-yarmouth-art-guild-and-samantha-goss/

TIME: Friday (6-9pm), Saturday (9am-5pm), Sunday (12pm-3pm)

WHERE: White Flowers on Main Street, Harwich Port

The holiday season is coming up fast and the second annual Festival of Trees in Harwich Port will benefit The Family Pantry of Cape Cod.

The festival will run from November 30 through December 2 at White Flowers on Main Street.

Spectacularly decorated festival trees will be trimmed to fit into the homes of winning bidders or as part of outdoor decorations.

Some of the trees will be adorned with gifts and prizes.

New for this year will be the addition of Gingerbread Houses made by local food establishments.

Visitors may place bids for the trees or houses during a silent auction during the weekend or enter raffle tickets to win select trees of houses.

A drawing for the winners will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Net proceeds from the event will go to the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, a nonprofit dedicated to serving the less fortunate in the region by providing food.

Individuals wishing to donate a tree, gift, gingerbread house or volunteer can email harwichportfestivaloftrees@gmail.com.

The Guidance Counselors would like to remind everyone about the importance of daily attendance at MRHS. Every year, absences spike around the holidays. We recognize the holidays are an important time but daily attendance in school is vital. Even a few absences, excused or not, can add up to lost learning time and put your child behind in school. Our wonderful teachers pour their energy and time into creating and teaching their lessons and student's need to be in class to get the most of their education. Developing daily attendance in high school is a positive habit to build as students move towards college and jobs in their future! Thank you for your support with keeping following our attendance policies here at MRHS.

Additionally, please note that if you are struggling as a parent to get your child to attend school or as a student who is struggling to attend on time, every day, please reach out to your Guidance Counselor for some tips and assistance. Absenteeism affects achievement in many areas and needs to be addressed sooner than later.

The Guidance & Counseling staff is pleased to share that to date, our seniors have applied to a total of 245 colleges and universities. That is an impressive number for Early Decision and Early Action applications. Nice job to all families and students who worked hard at this!

For graduating seniors and families, please keep a close eye on all college, scholarship, and financial aid deadlines. Regular Decision deadlines vary for individual colleges and universities, so it is imperative that students stay on top of this. If you have yet to request recommendation letters, please plan accordingly and provide your teachers with enough time to do so. If you are planning on applying to school with a Rolling Admission program, please don't delay and plan your application time to fit your schedule. Certificate and Trade Programs may have number caps so please don't delay and be in touch, via email or in person, with your Counselor about your plans.

Written by: Caroline Howard

My my how time flies! Two weeks ago we had a special field trip to what some might call Heaven. That’s right, all the way up to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro! And what a trip it was! Eight athletes from Monomoy were invited and participated in the 25th annual MIAA Sportsmanship Summit. Gillette hosted athletes from across the state to be a part of an event promoting sportsmanship, athletics, and leadership. Our Sharks also had the pleasure of listening to guest speakers such as Omari Pearson, NE Patriot Matthew Slater, and our very own Principal Burkhead! Athletes throughout the day had the pleasure of being inspired by talks about “Game Culture”, “Passion to Purpose”, and “Brain mapping” which encouraged students to write down their goals, and most importantly, how to achieve them. Overall, Gillette Stadium hosted a great event filled with inspiring stories and memories the eight athletes of Monomoy will carry forever.

Our Thanksgiving Football game was about as cold as the Grinch in the beginning of the movie! But, that didn’t stop our Sharks! The Sharks faced off against SJP while their turkeys were cooking in the oven! Boy what a tearjerker this game was. A tough fight for the Sharks, but they ultimately fell to Saint John Paul 12-6. A special shoutout to our seniors last game in the Sharks football uniform and a big welcome to the alumni fellas! Wooohooo!

Well, you know what they say, when one door closes the other one slams open! And boy, are our hoops being slammed on! That’s right, Winter Sports start this week! Basketball tryouts, as well as cheer and ice hockey have our athletes on edge this week, so a word to all parents---beware! The last thing we want is a hangry stressed-out teenager! But hey, when does that ever happen?! This Saturday, our Boys Ice Hockey travel up to Boston Latin to play their first scrimmage! Boys and Girls also have scrimmages on Saturday. Boys Basketball plays at home against Pembroke at ten o’clock on the dot! Come out and wish them luck! Girls Basketball shortly follows with their scrimmage against Mt. Everett at noon! I can’t wait for these winter sports to start up and come at you with the results!

That is all for now folks, but as we all know from being Cape Codders, there will always be more Shark news! I’m Caroline Howard and Go Sharks!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION

Saturday December 8th:
V Boys Hockey @ Nauset @ Charles Moore @ 7pm
V Girls Hockey vs. Barnstable @ Charles Moore @ 5pm

• The class of 2020 would like to extend a big shark shout out to all of our Monomoy family and friends. The clothing drive was a great success thanks to all of you. We would like to send a special shark shout out to our custodial staff for helping us lug, tug, and store all of the clothing. An additional, special shark shout out to Chris Dittrich for lending us his trucks to transport of all the clothing. Thanks again! -Class of 2020

• Thank you to Mr. Randall and Ms. Girolamo for coming out to see the reception for the Oak Street Academy show Threads at the Cultural Center! -Mr. George Sowpel

• Shoutout to Amanda Kosloski for helping me run the club photo day in the auditorium. Knowing that I was hoping for the day to run smoothly, she offered to help constantly. A great co-worker! Thank you! -Ms. Katie Kelly

• Shark Shoutout to the Monomoy High School Guidance Department and Family Pantry of Cape Cod. A special thank you to Guidance Counselor, Lindsay Ginnetty and retired teacher Peter Moynagh for all their hard work and acts of kindness in making sure this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive was a giant success! --Officer Tom Clarke

Email: mrhs@monomoy.edu
Website: https://www.monomoy.edu/Page/15
Location: 75 Oak Street, Harwich, MA, USA
Phone: 508-430-7200

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