From All of US at Taconic we wish you and your family a safe and a Happy Holiday!!

Congratulations THS , five of our students and five students from PHS attended the SkillsUSA Fall State Leadership Conference November 23rd-25th in Marlborough.  All of the students made us very proud, had a great experience, and made new friends from across the state. Every student on our team earned the SkillsUSA Leadership Award, which required an impressive amount of work.  Although this was a multi-day workshop on leadership and not an official competition, many of the students also won awards. 

Alex Zuber-  silver medal for Community Construction Project1st place-Overall Team Quality

Chelsea Lisi-3rd place-Overall Team Quality

Megan Holm-Proactive Leadership Award5th place-Overall Team Quality

Alex Gillette-silver medal for Community Service Project Safety Award2nd place-Overall Team Quality

Alex Kent-6th place-Overall Team Quality

DECEMBER 2014

HIGH SCHOOL

ACONICHOME

OF THE

BRAVES

Get involved with your child’s high school experience at Taconic join PAC

RANDI  ROBBINS

Grade:    10th

Favorite  School  Subject:    ABM  Intro  to  Business

Favorite  Cafe  Food:    Popcorn  Chicken

Favorite  Teacher  and  Why:    Mrs.  Hagmaier  because  she  understands  her  students  have  other  priorities.

Describe  THS:    Generally  respectful  group  of  students  and  faculty.

What  do  you  do  in  your  spare  time:    Shopping  and  watching  NetKlix  (Being  Honest)  :)

Plans  after  High  School:    4  year  college  -­‐  NYU  or  U  Maryland

Major?    Not  a  clue  but  I  am  very  interested  in    business.

Something  about  you  that  would  surprise  someone:    I  eat  a  lot  :)

Favorite  Song:    No  Angels

Favorite  Color:    Purple

Favorite  Movie:    The  Fault  in  our  Stars

Favorite  Actor/Actress:    Channing  Tatum

Favorite  Cereal:    Lucky  Charms

Favorite  Book:    The  Unbecoming  of  Mara  Dyer

Favorite  Animal:    Dog

JAKE  MCNEICE

Grade:    10th

Favorite  School  Subject:    Chemistry

Favorite  Cafe  Food:  Deli  Bagel

Favorite  Teacher  and  Why:  Mr.  Smith  because  he’s  nice  and  funny.

Describe  THS:    I  like  it.    There  are  alot  of  cool  people  and  staff.

What  do  you  do  in  your  spare  time:    Varsity  Football,    Basketball,  Baseball,  French  Club,  Business  Professional  of  America,  Senior  Leaders.

Plans  after  High  School:    Going  to  College

Major?    Architecture,  Construction  Management,  Electrical  Engineer,  Information  Technology  -­‐  Not  Sure.

Something  about  you  that  would  surprise  someone:  I  like  doing  funny  things  on  stage.

Favorite  Song:    “I’m  not  the  only  one”  by  Sam  Smith

Favorite  Color:    Green

Favorite  Movie:    Ace  Ventura  Pet  Detective  -­‐  When  Nature  Calls

Favorite  Actor/Actress:    Jim  Carey

Favorite  Cereal:    Frosted  Flakes

Favorite  Book:    The  Sea  of  Monsters  by  Rick  Riordan

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTJake McNeice and Randi Robbins

The Mr. Taconic Pageant was held on Friday, November 21st.

All proceeds benefit the Taconic’s chapter of Business Professionals of America.

The winner were

Mr. Taconic-Patrick Tierney

Mr. Congeniality-Hunter Smead

Mr. Popularity-Andrew Stevens

Mr. Moves-Alex Gillette

Mr. Talent-Nick Turner

Mr. Tux-Alex Stevens

Mr. Speech-Jonathan Placido

! Taconic Pa"ant

Badminton Champions Singles Champion Evan Kalinowski Doubles Champions Josh Berthiaume & Matt Ferris

Over 40 students participated.

JUNIOR COLLEGE NIGHT

It’s Time to Plan for College!!

Wednesday, February 11th

6:00pm

Taconic High School Auditorium

Bring your parents or guardians

Learn what College Reps have to say about Admissions -

Get answers to your questions from the “The

Source”

For scholarships and other information visit the School Counseling Website.

Scan the code

for the website

LET’S TALK COLLEGETaconic High School Counselors and Mr. Burdette are hosting the

annual “Returning Grads Discuss College” program, where Taconic

graduates share their college experiences with this year’s seniors.

We invite seniors to meet with these former THS students for a

Question & Answer on the college experience:

7th period on Friday, January 9th, in the Career Center, room V135

Seniors must sign up to attend, and complete the required form,

available in Guidance.

COLLEGE ROUNDUP

ACT Test is December 13th. The test location is at Taconic High School. Please sign up in the School Counseling Office.

SAT Test Sign Up deadline for the December 29th test is January 24th The test location is at Pittsfield High School. Please sign up in the School Counseling Office

TACONIC

CHORUSUpcoming Events

Dec 5th

Pittsfield Tree Lighting

Ceremony - 6pm

Dec 17th

Winter Concert at St Mark’s Church-6pm

Dress for Success

Dress for Success is the first Thursday in each month. The next Dress for Success is January 8th

Dear Student,

We are accepting applications starting TODAY!

It's time to apply for an unforgettable summer, as we invite you to

the Duke Summer College for High School Students (grades 10

& 11) to earn academic credit, or Duke Summer Academy for High

School Students(grades 9-12) for personal enrichment.  Make

friends from all over the globe as you learn in a classroom

environment that is intimate enough to gain the individual attention

you need to thrive.

The application is available on our website today and we encourage

you to apply early as spaces fill quickly!

Applications can be submitted either online or in paper.  Please visit

our website for further details.

http://summersession.duke.edu/high-school-students

Email us at summercollege@duke.edu or

summeracademy@duke.edu with any questions.

Sincerely,

Nicki Charles, Ed.D.

Duke University

Director of International Student Recruitment for Summer Session

nicki.charles@duke.edu

919-684-8763

 

JAWM Stock Challenge

Taconic students participated in the 9th Annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge at the MassMutual Center. There were 155 teams from 27 schools across Western Mass. Congratulations to the sophomore team of Jake Flynn, Cody Latimer, Jacob Galliher, Tyler Coelho, and Justyn Santiago for ranking 8th among the teams. Way to go!!

A Big THANK YOU to SABIC Innovative Plastics and Berkshire Life/Guardian for sponsoring this event

FINANCIAL AID NIGHT at Taconic: Tuesday Dec 16, at 6:30 pm in the school cafeteria.Students and parent/guardian are invited to attend a program at no cost, offered to explain and discuss how financial aid for college works, the process of applying for aid (FAFSA, PROFILE), and important updates to federal, state, and college financial aid info. Speakers include THS School Counselors and Financial Aid officers from local colleges. Please come for valuable information, get your questions answered, and learn about the many scholarship opportunities available.

The Redesigned SAT

COMING IN SPRING 2016

Introducing the Redesigned SATLaunching in spring 2016, the redesigned SAT will be based on the skills and knowledge that research shows to be essential for students' college and career readiness and success. The eight key changes listed below will make the exam clearer for students, more closely connected to K–12 course work, and more useful for college admission officers.

Eight Key Changes

Relevant Words in ContextThe redesigned SAT will focus on relevant words, not obscure vocabulary, that students will use throughout their lives — in high school, in college, and beyond. Students will engage in close reading to interpret the meaning of words based on the context of the passage in which they appear.

Command of Evidence The redesigned SAT will ask students to demonstrate their ability to interpret, synthesize, and use evidence found in a wide range of sources. These include informational graphics and multiparagraph passages excerpted from literature and literary nonfiction; texts in the humanities, science, history, and social studies; and career-related sources.

Essay Analyzing a SourceThe Essay section, which will be optional, will more closely mirror college writing assignments. Students will read a passage and explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience. Students may analyze elements such as the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic and persuasive elements.

Focus on Math that Matters MostThe exam will focus on three essential areas of math. Problem Solving and Data Analysis involves using ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts. The Heart of Algebra focuses on the mastery of linear equations and systems. Passport to Advanced Math focuses on the student's familiarity with more complex equations.

Problems Grounded in Real-World ContextsThroughout the redesigned SAT, students will engage with questions grounded in the real world, questions directly related to the work performed in college and career.

Analysis in Science and in History/Social StudiesStudents will apply their reading, writing, language, and math skills to solve problems in a broad array of contexts, including science, history, and social studies. Questions will require them to read and comprehend texts, revise texts to be consistent with data presented in graphics, and synthesize information presented through texts and graphics.

Founding Documents and Great Global ConversationEvery time students take the redesigned SAT, they will encounter a passage from a founding document (for example, the Bill of Rights) or a text from the ongoing global conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity.

No Penalty for Wrong AnswersThe redesigned SAT will remove the penalty for wrong answers. Students will earn points for the questions they answer correctly.

Further ReadingFor more information on the redesigned SAT, including sample questions and test specifications, visit deliveringopportunity.org.

Students Taking the Current SATStudents taking the SAT before spring 2016 can visit the current SAT site for information on test dates, registration, scores, and more.

Europe Trip• • •

European History Trip: Athens, Florence & Rome.

There is still room and time to enroll on the Taconic European History trip to Europe. This years trip will be to Athens, Florence & Rome. The trip is sponsored through EF tours. Student price includes airfare, hotel, breakfast and dinner as well as entrance to all exhibits and museums. The trip takes place over February break. Registration and payment deadline is the First of November. For approximate cost and more information See Mr. Flynn in room 223 or email jflynn@pittsfield.net

EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURES

Foreign Language Field Trip to the United Nations and 9/11

Memorial Museum on November 10th.

Attendance School

is offered Monday - Thursday in the Cafeteria from

2:30 to 3:00. Any questions, please

see Mrs. Mancari

TACONIC’S

OPEN HOUSE

January 8th

7pm-9pm

Twenty Taconic Chorus students auditioned for Western District Chorus. This chorus is comprised of singers from high school students in the western part of Massachusetts, and 16 of our singers made it into this select chorus. 13 of those 16 students also received an all state recommendation, meaning they scored on the top half and earned the privilege to audition at the state level.

This is an incredible honor, and these students have worked hard. Congratulations

Caroline Fairweather (earned a perfect score!!) - districts and all state recLily Lothrop (placed second) - districts and all state rec

Bri Bigos - districts and all state recSarah Cicchetti (first place) - districts and all state rec

Chrissy Riello -districts and all state recAndrew Stevens (placed fourth) -districts and all state rec

Jacob Giblin - districts and all state recKevin Stasiewski - districts and all state rec

Brice Ovitt - districts and all state recPatrick Tierney - districts and all state recBraxton Vittori - districts and all state rec

Mitchell McCauley - districts and all state recJetter White- districts and all state rec

Nick LaValley - districtsLauren Mangiardi - districts

Kate Parks - districts

Western District Chorus Auditions

Marks close for Report Cards

January 23rd

There is NO SCHOOL

December 22nd---January 2nd

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Taconic High School is to provide a safe learning environment where students demonstrate a strong work ethic and utilize 21st century skills as they strive for success.

Core Values

Take Responsibility

Have Respect

Strive for excellence

21st Century Learning Expectations

1.Student uses appropriate materials and technology to access, evaluate, and apply relevant information for authentic learning.

2.Student works independently and collaboratively.

3.Student communicates clearly and effectively.

4.Student is an active learner, demonstrating creatively and flexibility.

5.Student applies the processes of analysis, evaluation, and creation in problem solving.

6.Student demonstrates personal responsibility, cultural appreciation, and ethical behavior.