Principal Page
October 9, 2023
Dear Students and Families:
It is hard to believe that the first full month of school is already behind us. September was filled with successful and engaging activities created in collaboration between our students and staff. The month of October looks to be both exciting and busy as well. We are proud of our staff and student’s efforts in making these events available for our school community to enjoy. As we begin this month, we will be highly focused on proctoring the PSAT exam for grades 9 through 11. We look forward to seeing everyone at the wide variety of extra and cocurricular events this month. Dates and times pertaining to these events are easily accessible in our school calendar via the link below.
As always, please feel free to reach out anytime should you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Rick Barnes
Principal
PTSO Meeting Date Change
This month’s meeting has been changed back to this Tuesday October 10. It will take place from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM and will be held in the LHS Library.
Mack Plaque and Homecoming: Mack Plaque Weekend began with our traditional pep rally on Friday morning. Student energy and enthusiasm carried over into the athletic events that followed. While we cannot say we brought the plaque home, we can be incredibly proud of our student athletes’ efforts in the face of adversity. Many games were close and came down the final minutes. Our student-athletes never quit and showed tremendous grit. We are equally proud of our students who showed up to support our athletes; their behavior was exemplary. We look forward to the potential of some rematches in the playoffs against the Astros. Mack Plaque Weekend ended with a well-attended Homecoming Dance. Plans are already underway for another dance this spring.
Open House
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our Open House! We look forward to seeing families again for Parent/Teacher Conferences which will take place on Friday, November 17. Further information regarding conferences will soon be available.
PSAT
Just a reminder that this Wednesday, October 11th all 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will be taking the exam in school. Seniors will not report to school on this day and can use this time to work on their college applications or visit colleges. Students taking the exam will arrive at their normal time. Students will be released from school at 11:00 AM after the exam.
We encourage everyone taking the exam to get a good night’s rest and eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning before the exam. Please make sure to bring your charging chord for your laptop and that it is fully charged that night before. Finally, relax. You got this!
National Merit Semifinalist and Commended Student
Over 1.5 million students took the PSAT exam last year, and the 50,000 highest scores were recognized. Londonderry High School is proud to announce that we have two students being awarded. Congratulations to Sean O’Donnell ’24 who is a National Merit Semi-Finalist and William Buckley ’24 who is a National Merit Commended Student. We are proud of your commitment to excellence in academics.
Congratulations to LHS Robotics Team 1058!
The team competed at a 24-team tournament in Merrimack in September…and won! This marks the team’s first win in six years. We are proud of their efforts and look forward to their future success this season.
LHS Walks for ALS
LHS Community Service Club is partnering with the ALS Association to hold it is third annual fundraiser to raise money for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The event will be held on October 14th at 10:00 AM on the LHS track. Currently, there is no cure for this disease. All proceeds from donations and raffle tickets will support patient care and ALS research.
Prism Concerts in October
Prism is a series of 2 concerts that takes place in the HS cafeteria and involves the Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble along with approximately 25 additional auditioned student groups. The concert set-up is cabaret style with tables, chairs and food surrounded by three stages. Prism Concert features a kaleidoscope of songs and instrumental arrangements performed in immediate succession from every possible angle. As a duet of singers finishes a Broadway selection on one stage, a jazz ensemble strikes up a jazz standard from the opposite direction, and so on. The concert is intended to provide a variety of music including popular, Broadway, jazz, rock, and classical music.
Futures Lab Career Day Breakfast
Members of the Class of 2027 had an opportunity to participate in the first of what will be monthly Career Breakfasts. These meetings provide an opportunity for students to meet professionals in the Londonderry community who work in careers in which they be interested in for their future. The event was successful and well attended. We look forward to next month’s event!
Important Dates
College Fair: 10/11 6:30 PM to 8 PM
PTSO Meeting 10/10 6:15 PM
ALS Walk 10/14 10:00 AM
Prism Concerts 10/28 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Picture Retakes 11/18 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM