North students help

By Kodi O'Keefe
Class of 2015

Through out my four years at North Attleboro High school the number one thing I've really learned outside of the classroom is how to be selfless and help those in need. 
When fellow student and friend Mallorie Lindo lost her fight against epilepsy, our school really came together to help her family in anyway we could. Helping others in need makes us appreciate the gifts we have.   We shouldn't take for granted things like good health, luxury, and family.  
I read an article on wcvb.com about a 6 year old girl named Addie from Utah who has an undiagnosed condition that has caused cerebral atrophy as a symptom. This essentially means that her brain hasn't been working correctly since she was three. This hit home for me because I have a 7 year old sister and a 3 year old brother and couldn't even imagine what Addie's family is going through. She is unable to go to school and unable to play with friends. She has less than a year left so this may be her last Christmas. Because she looks forward to going to the post office every day and collecting Christmas cards, her family is asking for are any types of cards from her 'friends' across the country. 
I've decided to take it upon myself to tell everyone I know about this little girl named Addie Fausett from Fountain Green, Utah. 
I strongly encourage everyone who reads this to send Addie a card for Christmas!  
The next time you are in the Media Center, please take a few moments to make a card for Addie!  I will collect all these cards and send them to her before Christmas.  
If you would like to send your own card to Addie directly, send it to:
Addie Fausett 
Box 162
Fountain Green, UT 84632 

Help make Addie's Christmas the best is can possibly be! 

What I wish I knew as an underclassman

By Morgan Hughes

Class of 2015

High school is where we are supposed to find ourselves, prepare for college, a career, or service, become sufficient in the liberal arts, and begin our paths to adult lives. If that doesn't sound like enough pressure, we are expected to do it pretty much on our own. As a senior who has done all this and is almost done with this part of my life, I now know a lot of things I wish I did four years ago. I wish someone had told me what would help me succeed and what would lead to my demise. Don’t walk through the doors of the high school ever again without knowing these seven things that I wish I knew as an underclassman.

Take advantage of what other people have done.

No, I don’t mean in a parasitic way. I cannot stress this one enough. Use what you have around you, and not just computers and books- use your teachers. Even if you have never had a teacher in class, don’t be afraid to talk to them. Mr. Duluk and Mr. Holster have given me a ton of information about what to expect in college. Ms. Forsgard has talked to me about what it’s like to learn and work in the broadcast journalism world. Mr. Russo used to work at a radio station before he was a history teacher and knows a lot about what it’s like to write ads for broadcasts. Mr. Scozzaro knows A LOT about technology and social media- something that a school in this age needs. Don’t be afraid to ask! Talking to teachers and other adults in and out of school has helped me realize a lot about what I want and need to do in my educational and vocational careers. I've been emailing teachers and alumni from colleges I may want to attend and people who work in the career field I want to enter, and I have learned so much from just talking to them that I would not have been able to get off the internet. JUST TALK TO SOMEONE!

Join clubs and activities that interest you.

At Freshman Step Up Day, I was speaking to a few incoming freshman boys about clubs and activities. When I tried to explain to them the importance and value in joining clubs, they said “I play football, why would I need to join any clubs?” Colleges look for well-rounded students. Joining clubs is the perfect way to do this. Try something that interests you, and you might discover a new passion you never knew you had, and maybe even one that you want to do for a career. If a college is looking at two students with good grades, and one is a one-sport athlete while the other is in Debate, Science, Leo Club and plays a sport each season, they are quickly going to choose the student with a variety of activities. They want to see that you are educated and passionate about a variety of things, as well as that you can manage your time well between extra-curriculars, school, and work.

Start studying now!

Even if you’ve gotten straight A’s without reviewing your notes once, college will be much different. You could take notes all semester and have one or two huge tests in college. Although it’s easy to get by in high school, things will quickly change once you leave here. You should get into the habit now so that you don’t struggle until you actually get there. For now, study a week or two in advance in small amounts. It’s more effective to study for thirty minutes at a time with ten minute breaks than to cram it all in Sunday night! You will be glad you did. Even better, you could study each night, going over the material you just learned. This will be the best strategy in college when you have class once a week. It’s easier said than done, but if you can buckle down and do it you’re already in a better place than I am!

Take the most challenging classes you can.

It’s better to have a B- in an AP class than an A+ in a level one class. Colleges will want to see that you have challenged yourself. It’s better to know this now than to figure it out Junior year when you have one semester left to impress the college of your dreams. Start taking higher level classes early so that you can get used to the course load and detailed content. AP classes are also a good indicator of what college classes will be like; a lot of information packed into a short period of time!

The friends you have now will most likely not be the friends you have forever.

You will most likely not be the same person senior year as you were freshman year. Your interests, hobbies, talents, and even your personality will change as you grow and begin to find yourself. You have to remember that not everyone will develop like you do, and that may mean walking a different path than your friends (whether it comes peacefully or not). You also have to remember that just because you are in between friend groups, does not mean you will be a loner forever. Friends come when you least expect it, and those are the best kind: the people you share classes with, have interests in common with. When you leave high school, it will be even easier to make friends with similar interests, as at that point most people your age will have discovered themselves and what they like to do. Just be friendly to everyone; you never know when you might meet your new best friend.

Take a risk.

Contrary to popular social belief, you can in fact stray away from what your friends do. If they are all on the lacrosse team and you want to participate in the Debate Club on Thursdays, do it! Take a step outside your comfort zone, and you will more likely than not come across new friends, passions, and experiences that you had never even thought about before. There are so many things available to you in high school that you haven’t had before. This also applies outside of social constraints. Run for student government, try out for the basketball team, and audition for the play. Don’t be afraid to be the first person to present your project, sing your song, or give your opinion. BE THE FIRST! It shows initiative and drive (AND teachers usually grade the first person lighter because there is no one to compare them to). If there’s something you want to do that no one else has done before, just go for it.  Start a club or be a part of something that was outside of your limits before. First impressions matter, so make a bold one.

It’s not about who you are, it’s about what you know.

Many people are afraid to step outside social boundaries and break away from the in-crowd. Being ‘popular’ or accepted in high school literally means nothing. The people who peak in high school could be the ones who end up at dead-end jobs trying to live vicariously through their own teenage children, and it could be YOU who becomes the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. Be yourself. Do what you enjoy. Wear what makes you smile when you look in the mirror. Say what you’re thinking. You can dress punk-rock and be in the top ten percent of your class. You can join the theater and play lacrosse. When you are comfortable enough with yourself to break away from stereotypes and social constraints, you will truly enjoy your life. And believe it or not, no one will care either way.  Really, no one will make fun of you or even give a second thought about it. You are your greatest critic. In the end, it’s not about who you were in high school: a jock, a nerd, a preppy, a theater-kid or a band-kid. It’s ultimately about what you learned and the person you have become through these experiences.

If I could go back in time and relive high school (which I wouldn't do by choice) with the things I know now, I think I could have made my four years worth a lot more. These are the last few years that you will have with little to no serious responsibility. Make the most of it now that you know these things, before it’s too late.

What NAHS Means To Me

North Attleboro High School, more than anything else, fosters growth.  The academic excellence the school instills in its students is self-evident, as seen by superb MCAS and AP scores year after year.  The varied athletic opportunities available at NAHS are also widely reported in local papers and visible across town on our fields and courts.  In addition to these well-known examples of student engagement, there are many other ways NAHS facilitates growth in its students, particularly through the myriad of clubs and organizations that encourage student involvement outside of their academic responsibilities. Whether it is Model Senate, Art Club, Math League, or the Building Bridges Gay-Straight Alliance, NAHS allows students to participate in activities that relate to their own unique interests and passions.   

 Among my many extracurricular activities, my involvement in the North Attleboro High School Theatre Company has been the most pivotal in my growth as a student, as a person, in the past four years.  My shy nature and difficulty interacting with new people made me initially tentative at the prospect of pursuing an art that forced me to perform for all eyes to see.  After some cajoling from friends, I began working with the company as a freshman.  What I found when I joined was an accepting, diligent, passionate group of closely-knit people.  The staff and students that invest their time and energy into theatre all welcomed me in with open arms, offering support, encouragement, and constructive criticism when it was needed.  With their help, I became a more confident actor and person, taking on roles ranging from an Italian nun to a grizzled old man to a brash general to a romantic Wall Street administrator.  The theatre company has helped me to improve my writing as I write out press releases for upcoming shows to distribute to local newspapers.  I have even become handy with a drill as I help to turn wooden flats and 2X4’s into elegant sets on Saturday mornings.   

An oft-repeated cliché among the members of the NAHSTC is that the company is a family.  Many clichés are rooted in fact, and I know for certain that this is one of them.  The support and encouragement among the students in the theatre company is profoundly apparent.  We help each other to memorize monologues, hammer in walls, and dim the lights.  We spend literally hundreds of hours working together, and many of us eventually log in enough hours on stage or doing technical work to be eligible for membership in the International Thespian Society.  Our devotion to the success of the company is also apparent through our elections of students to the Executive Board, which helps to choose field trips, organize fundraisers, and head the crews necessary to keep the group operating.  I have been fortunate enough to have been inducted into the ITS and elected as the president of the E-board by my peers for my senior year.   

High school is a place, and time, of growth.  Nowhere is this more apparent for me personally than when looking back on my time in theatre.  I remember walking sitting alone in the auditorium during auditions for the Fall Play and walking out of sheer nervousness before I would have to go onstage.  I remember playing an old wheelchair-bound Texan and a crooning lounge singer that same year during my first major role in the Spring Musical.  I remember stepping back and swelling with pride as I beheld to the massive two-story house that I helped to build after hours toiling on Saturdays alongside my cast-mates.  My transformations through the last four years are largely due to the immensely positive impact the company has had on me.  The lessons I have learned will resonate a lifetime and the friendships I have made will remain strong even after I graduate and leave the hallowed Cobb Theatre.  Little in my high school experience has been as satisfactory as pulling off a successful production as a member of our humble troupe and seeing and seeing an audience, even for a brief moment, become a part of our family.  I encourage anyone who wonders what North Attleboro High School provides its students to come by to a show.  We’ll be happy to show you what we’re capable of.  

-Eric Wuesthoff   

Class of 2015                  

Found Poem

The following poem was one of many poems removed from the walls of one of the student restrooms at NAHS today.  The poems were removed because the poet did not get them approved.  I want this student poet to know that one AP approves of her poetry.  I urge her to come forward and participate in our Literary Magazine club, Galadriel. 

I urge all of our students to share their talents with the school community in our clubs, organizations, teams, publications, and performing arts programs!

Here's the poem:

Sadie

Six years old, and for those six years I had always loved dogs.  

My parents took me away for the 

weekend to their friend's house, whose names I can't remember.  

People I haven't seen since.  But I remember their dog's name.  

She was Sadie--I met her her on a Saturday.  

She was brown and beautiful. 

She was tall for a dog, but I was tall for a six year old.

Maybe I was too far into her personal space.  

Maybe I should've read her body language, and

taken notice of her shiny, gummy teeth clenched with rage.  

Should've noticed when she was jumping for me.  

I should've moved out of the way.  

I hit the ground before I could blink.  

Six years old, and before this, 

the whole world was just as beautiful as Sadie.

The world was much uglier from where I was--
lying on this strange deck that belonged to

people, whose names I still cannot remember.  

I was bleeding. 

And the more I cried, the more my lips began to rip apart. 

I had to have emergency reconstructive plastic surgery to look normal again.  

Even if I wanted to smile, 

the thirty two stitches on my mouth wouldn't let me for much too long.

Sadie had to be put down, and I'm not sure why 

that didn't make me feel better.  

I'm not sure why the world's beauty had to die along with her.  

Six years old, and for those six years I had always 

loved dogs.

Call for Contributions

This blog is dedicated to sharing the wonderful experiences that students have here at North.
We are looking for students to contribute posts focused around the following questions:

• How has NAHS impacted you as a person? 
• What experiences have you had here that you will always remember?
• How has the school helped you build strong relationships with classmates, teachers, and/or the community?

If you would like to contribute a post to this blog, please see Mr. Scozzaro.

You can email him at jscozzaro@naschools.net

You can find him on Twitter: @JoeSco77

Welcome Back from Class of 2015

Welcome Back

The arrival of September marks a shift from the prolonged hiatus of a long, hot summer to the fast-paced rigor of a new school year. Students return from their vacations refreshed, and somewhat hesitant to embrace the life of paper and pen. There is a certain bittersweet nature about leaving the beaches and barbecues behind to embrace essays and homework. Nonetheless, whether we enter school from the senior lot, junior lot, or the bus stop, we find ourselves in possession of high hopes for the year.

Regardless of grade, gender, or interests, everyone at NAHS is united by community around them and the thread of hope at the onset of a new school year. Freshman arrive wide-eyed, hoping to obtain the ideal High School experience they have always envisioned in their head. Sophomores, with a year of experience under their belts, hope to pick-up where they left off and embrace their ascension from freshman year. Juniors arrive ready to lay the groundwork for a successful future. Seniors, the hardened veterans of NAHS, hope to capture the waning moments of their high school careers, and enjoy it as much as they can.

It is with this hope in mind that we wish to welcome you back to a new school year. Each new school year is not an end to something great, but rather the beginning to something much greater. Whatever endeavors you envision yourself accomplishing as the year progresses, we hope you pursue these endeavors with passion, and that you do not let your hope and passion for a new school year falter. Nobody doubts the underlying sadness resulting from a summer departed. However, we hope you see the new school year as yet another journey, one that allows you to catch up with old friends and teachers, and grow not only academically, but as a person.

So let us come together, as a cohesive unit, and embrace the year upon us. Let us maintain our high hopes throughout the year, and face all the trial and tribulations ahead with courage. With the new school year finally upon us, we hope that you grow not only as an academic member of North Attleboro High School, but learn to embrace the opportunities and community around you.

Your senior-class President and Vice President,

Matthew Mankavech and David Simonds