Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2015

Mrs. Badger:

"'My favorite animal is the turtle. The reason is that in order for the turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out. There are going to be times in your life when you’re going to have to stick your neck out. There will be challenges and instead of hiding in a shell, you have to go out and meet them.' - Ruth Westheimer

Good luck to the Class of 2015.  You will be missed." 

Sharon Carney-Andrews:

"One of my favorite quotes:  'Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.' - John Lennon. 

My own words of wisdom - Be brave, be kind, show compassion to others and never give up on your dreams! - Best wishes to the class of 2015!"

Ms. Churchill:

"'Life's tough, get a helmet.' -Boy Meets World.  Good luck in college and in life everyone! Work hard and you can achieve anything! Much love, KC."

Sra Cosme:

"Como lo dijo muy bien Celia Cruz en una de mis canciones favoritas y positivas, 'No hay que llorar, la vida es un carnaval y hay que vivir cantando...las penas se van cantando, la vida es una hermosura..,'Y como Marc Anthony dijo tambien: 'voy a reir , voy a cantar y a vivir mi vida, ...' Please,go into the world and do well,enjoy life, and more importantly, do good to others!"

Mr. Couture:

"Fear of what could happen is the biggest enemy of living your dream."

Ms. Hanley:

"'We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.'― J.K. Rowling 

Thank you, Class of 2015. I will miss you! Love, EH"

Ms. McGrail

"'I have learned that there is no failure in running, or in life, as long as you keep moving.' - Amby Burfoot.  Never let anything stop you from moving forward and becoming the best that you can be! Best of luck to the Class of 2015!"

Mrs. McKamy:

"'Whether I'm at the office, at home, or on the road, I always have a stack of books I'm looking forward to reading.'--Bill Gates

READ, READ, READ!!"

Mrs. Mitnik:

"My advice to you is to always remember to be kind.  You have no idea what other people are going through, and there is no deeper regret then the feeling that you have contributed to someone's personal distress. This is one of my favorite quotes:  'Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.' ~ Dalai Lama.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity towards others during your years at the High School."

Mrs. Rushlow:

"While graduation is an exciting time, it is a time of some uncertainty too. I always like to share this quote from LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET by Rainer Maria Rilke for times of transition....

'Try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live with them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.'”

Mrs. Anne Sandland:

"Absorb as much daily sunshine into your body as possible. This can be from Mother Nature or in the form of smiles or good deeds from friends or family members. This 'warmth' is stored in the body for use on a cloudy/challenging day, until the sun shines on us again!  The Class of 2015 has given me a reason to smile this school year.  I am proud of each of you and your accomplishments."

Mr. Scozzaro:

"Be appreciative of others' advice for they just want the best for you, but in the end, trust your heart. Don't be afraid to go your own way."

Ms. Shockro:

"'We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone'

Ronald Reagan.    Best Wishes to the Class of 2015!"

Ms. Sullivan:

"Ten thoughts that have helped me in the years since my own graduation from NAHS:

1. Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.

2. What feels like the end is often the beginning. 

3. 'Do the right thing...even when no one is looking.' - C.S. Lewis

4. 'Be kind...for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.' - Ian MacLaren

5. 'Life is too important to be taken seriously.' - Oscar Wilde

6. Travel without a map.  

7. 'Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.' - Lovelle Drachman

8. Let go of what you think you know.  

9. 'We can do hard things.' - Glennon Melton

10. And most importantly for P.6 American Government - Always tip your waiters and waitresses : )

Good luck to the Class of 2015 - I hope you find happiness and make this world a better place!"

Mr. Walsh:

"Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity."  --President Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States. 

Anonymous:

"'Campus Life' on a Thursday night if you are questioning whether to study for exams or go out with friends.  Ask yourself one question 'Would I want my brain surgeon to be a D student?'"

Anonymous:

"Seniors, My advice is to not let failure deter you; your life doesn't end because of a temporary setback, it just starts over.  Next, don't be afraid of making a decision, even if it's wrong.  Your future employers want decisive leaders, not someone who cannot make a decision.  Good Luck and Great Success in your life."

Anonymous:

"Life is difficult.  Everything from this point on will require hard work.  Do not look for handouts, nothing is deserved, but rather EARNED."

Anonymous:

"Never give up pursuing your dreams and never allow yourself to say the words, 'I can't.'  Have faith in your abilities, confidence in your convictions, and never let them see you sweat!  Now, go out there and make the world your own.  Best of luck, Class of 2015!!!"

Anonymous:

"Advice I would give someone going to college: 

1. Find the library and pick a spot to go everyday, spend at least an hour there doing your work.

2. Go to class, you didn't spend all that money to sleep. 

3. Sometimes you're going to have to choose to study rather than party. Saying no to your friends can be difficult.

4. Get a meal plan and use it.

Adivce I would give someone going into the work force: 

1. Don't wait for things to be handed to you.

2. Work really hard, and earn what you get.

3. Try to find a job you love doing.

The secrets to life: 

1. Surround yourself with good people. 

2. Find a hobby you can be passionate about

3. Never stop learning.

4. Love your family with all your heart.

5. Follow the golden rule as best as you can.

Say no to drugs. Really, they're bad, umkay."

Anonymous:

"Do what is required of you and add a bit more!"

Anonymous:
"Wear Sunscreen"

https://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI

The Journey

Twelve years ago
the class of 2015
started the journey
of a lifetime together
we were sent off to school
with brand-new backpacks
waiting to be filled
bright eyes
and eager smiles

We clambered into classrooms
arms wide open
with endless potential

We daydreamed
of what we would grow up
to be
doctors and firemen
astronauts and dancers

And through the years
each challenge,
success
and even failure,
was a new lesson
tucked carefully into our backpacks
The experiences we carried through this journey
have molded us
into the people we are today
athletes and artists
scholars and musicians

We put in the work
and took some...
well-deserved breaks
but everything so far
has led up to this
right now

So here we are
being sent off
into the world
Our backpacks now well-worn
from the places
we have already been
filled to the brim
with the knowledge
we have acquired
along the way

And we will step surely off this stage
bright eyes
Eager smiles
arms wide open
with endless potential


By Nicole LaFond

Class of 2015: A Poem

Take a moment

Look to your left
Look to your right
Some of these faces
You've known since kindergarten
Some of these faces
You'll never see again
But as we all sit
Side by side

Take a moment

We've spent these years
In a hurry
A hurry to grow up
Busy wishing and dreaming
For the start of our lives
Bus as we all sit
The class of 2015
Palms are clenching seats
Hearts are pounding
And thoughts are scattered
We can't hear ourselves think
Trying to catch our breath
In this bittersweet wind

We must take a moment

For ourselves
Before we walk across the stage
To live in this moment
We made it!

By Samantha Cummings

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.