RHS Newsletter

May 13, 2008

Dear Raymond High School Families:

I would like to take a moment to offer my sincere appreciation to the faculty, staff, students and parents who took part in the recent NEASC Committee visit.  Taking time from your already hectic schedules to provide personal insight to the committee, as well as offer support in the way of food donations was a great testimony to the spirit and pride we hold for Raymond High School.

The end of the school year is fast approaching and there is much work to be done prior to June 23, 2008.  Final exams for seniors will be June 11, 12, 13, and 16, 2008.  The Class of 2008 will graduate on June 20, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the high school gym.  Class night will be celebrated on June 18, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the high school gym.  We all are looking forward to this celebration.

The underclassmen final exams will be held June 18, 19, 20, and 23, 2008.  It is important that all students continue to work hard through the end of the year.  Parents that have concerns about their student’s grades should be contacting their teachers.  Email is a great way to communicate with teachers and all of our email addresses are listed on the high school web site at www.sau33.com and then click on the high school link.

Summer school will be offered at Raymond High School again this year starting after July 4, 2008.  The schedule has not been solidified yet but we anticipate offering math and English at the very least.  More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the warm weather!

Regards,

Kirk Beitler

Principal

MATH DEPARTMENT NEWS

The annual TRIG-STAR exam, a high school trigonometry skill awards program sponsored by The National Society of Professional Surveyors, was administered on Tuesday May 6, 2008. 

The following students competed in the exam:   

Burgess, Rachel            Heim, Ashley                Jones, Ray                    Martin, Charles     Spinney, Kristen

Ernst, Phil                     Heim, Jennifer               Kent, Aaron                 McLean, Kelly      Tishkevich, Felicia

Fotino, Erika                Herod, Stephen            Lang, Kacie                  Richard, Curtis      Wallerstein, Silas

Gilbert, Michelle           Houle, Mike                 Lundergan, Matt           Ross, Robert           Worcester, Jim

                                                                                                                                   Wynne, Dan

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR NEWS

Congratulations go out to:

Male Scholar Athletes                                                               Female Scholar Athlete
Krist Hausken – Indoor Track and Outdoor Track                         Kacie Lang – Soccer and BasketballStephen Herod – Cross Country and Basketball

Reach High Scholars Program

The second meeting of the Reach High Scholars Program took place on April 22nd.  Copies of the materials distributed at the meeting are available in Mr. Beitler’s office.   

At the April 22^nd meeting, two recent RHS graduates, Eric Austrew (RHS '95, Yale '99, BU MBA & MIS ‘06) and Josh French (RHS '01, Duke '05, BC Law '08), led a discussion addressing how a student can best position herself or himself to be a strong candidate for highly-competitive colleges and universities.  Eric and Josh will continue to be involved with parents and students to assist in developing individual game plans to be implemented over the next year or two to maximize the students’ chances of getting into a top college.

The program will emphasize:

            A.        Course selection (including advanced placement and honors courses); 

            B.         Preparation for standardized tests (SAT reasoning, SAT subject tests, ACT);

            C.        Extra-curricular activities (sports, art, performing arts, school governance);

            D.        Summer programs;

            E.         Community involvement;

            F.         Preparing for admissions interviews.

St. Paul’s School - Advanced Studies Program

This program has been an important stepping stone in the past for RHS students who went on to highly competitive colleges.  We are delighted that Ashley Heim, Jennifer Heim, Michael Houle and Charles Martin will be attending the ASP this summer.  This is the largest group ever from RHS!          

Organized Visits to Highly-Competitive Colleges and Universities

We are organizing a coordinated program of visits to some of the 22 highly-competitive colleges and universities reachable in a day from Raymond.  Deirdre Doyle and Andy and Debbie Harmon have volunteered to assist in this effort.  Help from other parents is welcomed.  Students are requested to inform Ms. Doyle of the colleges they would like to visit. 

Juniors are encouraged to visit schools before the intense application period starts in late fall.  It is also valuable for sophomores and freshmen to learn what college life is all about and to get an early start on the process.

Transportation Contributions

Transportation Contributions are being established by the Reach High Scholars Program to encourage visits to the highly-competitive colleges and universities that are within a two-three hour drive of Raymond.

Parents, faculty members or friends who drive to any of the schools with at least two RHS students for purposes of an organized tour of the campus and admissions office presentation will be reimbursed at the rate of $0.25 per mile.  The contribution amounts for each of the schools are set out on the list on the following page.  In many instances it will be possible to combine two schools in a day, which is encouraged.  Contributions in such cases will be based on the actual mileage.

Payments will be made by check from the RHS Alumni Association upon receipt of an email to bporter819@comcast.net or letter to the RHS Alumni Association, PO Box 745, Raymond, NH 03077, stating the following: (i) Date of the Trip, (ii) School(s) Visited (iii) Name and Address of Driver and (iv) Names of RHS Students on the Trip.

SCHOOL NURSE NEWS

Welcome Spring! Welcome warm weather! Welcome Lyme Disease, EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and WNV (West Nile Virus).  When warm weather arrives in New Hampshire, so do these diseases.  The State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has some guidelines to follow in order to reduce the risk of contracting these diseases.  Ticks transmit Lyme Disease, while mosquitoes transmit EEE and WNV.  Lyme Disease is spread in New England by the bite of the black legged deer tick.

Some ways to prevent getting Lyme Disease are:

• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easy to see.
• Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants.
• Consider using an insect repellent according to manufacturer’s directions while playing or working outside. (Products containing greater or equal to 20% DEET have been shown effective in repelling ticks.)
• Check all body surfaces and clothing for ticks after being outdoors. Do Tick Checks.
• Keep the grass in your yard mowed short and remove leaf litter.
• If a tick is attached to skin for less than 24 hours, chances of getting Lyme Disease are extremely small.

Mosquitoes transmit EEE and WNV to people. A vaccine is available for horses, but not for humans. Prevention of these diseases centers on controlling mosquitoes and avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes:

• If possible, stay inside between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Use an insect repellent with DEET according to manufacturer’s directions when outside.
• Place screens on windows and doors and make sure they do not have any holes.
• Eliminate standing water around your property.

For more information about these diseases, visit the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services website at www.dhhs.nh.gov or call 1-800-852-3345 x4496.

Important Dates:

May 16 – 19, 2008                              Senior Class Trip

May 23, 2008                                      Prom

May 27, 2008                                      Red Cross Blood Drive – RHS Gym

May 28, 2008                                      6:00 p.m. Underclass Awards Night – RHS Cafe

June 11, 12, 13 and 16, 2008               Final Exams – Seniors

June 18, 2008                                      6:00 p.m. Class Night – RHS Gym

June 18, 19, 20 and 23, 2008               Final Exams – Underclassmen

                                    June 20, 2008                                      6:00 p.m. Graduation – RHS Gym