Long Weekend Logistics

Following winter Family Days, the long weekend officially begins Saturday, Feb. 3, as soon as your student’s athletic, arts, and workjob commitments are complete. Students and families who have no Saturday obligations may leave on Friday after meeting all commitments. There are no classes on Monday or Tuesday. Boarding students are expected to return to campus between 2 and 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Classes resume on Wednesday, Feb. 7. This is considered a homework-free weekend with no homework due on Wednesday, Feb 7.

Return charter bus service from Boston and New York (but not from the airports) is available on Feb. 6. Students (not parents) are asked to complete an online form to sign up for the charter bus. The form will be available through Jan. 31. If your student’s charter bus plans change, please email Tracey Rogers or call the charter bus line at 413-498-3203. Note that, except for extenuating circumstances, families are responsible for charter bus fees if trips are cancelled after Feb. 1.

Students, both staying on or leaving campus, will also be asked to complete an online travel form by midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 31, indicating their plans. If your student is not going to be with you off campus, you must contact your student’s dorm head to grant permission for their travel plans. If your student’s plans change throughout the weekend (later departure, earlier return), parents must notify the duty dean.

The dorms will remain open during the long weekend, and activities are planned for students remaining on campus.

MLK Week Brings Inspiration

NMH’s week-long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacies held many meaningful moments. Some of the most inspirational came from two speakers, author and professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, and A’Dorian Murray-Thomas ’12, founder of She Wins!, which serves girls affected by violence. Here’s a sample of what each told the NMH community.

Dyson: "King had more than just one hit. He was more than 'I have a dream. … I have a dream' is a lovely, eloquent, golden phrase. But people try to freeze King in that moment. He also talked about poverty. He spoke of a revolution of values. What should we do with his memory? … King's legacy demands that we think about what's going on now in our country. Ask yourself: Are you truly invested in the humanity of the 'other'?"

Murray-Thomas: “Even something huge like the legacy of Dr. King can start small, with a question such as ‘Can I do more?’ My charge to you is to commit to doing what you can, no matter how small, to make a difference.” Her nonprofit, which has served 200 girls so far, started when she asked how she could reduce the disparities between the kind of education her peers got in Newark, NJ, schools and the kind she’d received at NMH.

A Global, Hands-On Education

It is a busy time for the Global Engagement Office and the Center for Learning Through Action at NMH. This campus office exposed the NMH community to food from cultures around the world during the International Carnival. The following day, students tried new activities at the inaugural Learning Through Action Summit.

The annual carnival celebrates the diverse cultures represented on our campus. (Current NMH students hail from 57 countries.) Many international students, as well as domestic students affiliated with other countries, cooked their favorite delicacies to share their cultures. Read a behind-the-scenes story and see event photos.

The summit offered ninth-graders and other interested students 20 sessions on topics including supporting girls in the developing world, ice skating on Shadow Lake, and working with horses and oxen at the NMH farm. The sessions were action oriented, thought provoking, and engaged 200 students, faculty, and staff. Read more and see event photos.

What is Summer Session About?

NMH Summer Session is a five-week academic program that lets students take a course intensively for academic credit. This is a great opportunity to advance in a subject area. For example, students can take a full-credit math, science, or history course and jump to the next level in the following academic year. Chemistry, Biology, US History, Algebra 1 and 2, Precalculus, Economics, and Psychology are some of the full-credit courses available.

Is there a younger sibling in your household who is dreaming of the day when he or she can attend NMH? This summer could be it! Non-credit courses and courses for middle-school students are also available. The Rising Scholars Program is for students entering grades seven through nine, and the College Prep Program is for students entering grades 10 through 12. Similar to the school year, Summer Session students live in dorms; day students are also encouraged to attend.

In addition to the strong academic focus, students have recreational opportunities. Financial aid is also available.

NMH Summer Session runs from June 30 to Aug. 4. For complete information and the online application, visit the Summer Session web pages or call the office at 413-498-3290.

Announcements

Winter Family Days (Feb. 2–3) are quickly approaching. If you have not registered or signed up for teacher conferences, please do so by Jan. 28. See the schedule of events. Please plan to join us for the parent reception on Friday, Feb. 2, at 5 pm in Social Hall.

Enjoy Family Days from Afar: NMH will livestream several Family Days events: on Friday, Feb. 2, “State of the School” with Peter B. Fayroian (10:30–11:10 am EST); and on Saturday, Feb. 3, “College Counseling for Freshman and Sophomores” (10–11 am EST), and "College Counseling for All Families," with tips on using the college-application tool Naviance and information about the Common Application (11 am–12 pm EST).

All-Gender Dorm Information Session: During Family Days, a session about all-gender dorms will be held on Friday, Feb. 2, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in Beveridge Hall’s Rhodes Room. Please consider attending, and click here to learn more about all-gender housing at NMH.

Commencement Information: Commencement 2018 will be here before you know it! See the latest schedule and details. Parents of the Class of 2018 will receive more communications from the school in the coming months.

Re-Enrollment for 2018–19: Re-enrollment for the 2018–19 academic year will take place Feb. 16–March 16. Watch for an email from Head of School Peter B. Fayroian containing the instructions you’ll need to enroll your student for next year.

School-Break Options: During extended school breaks, NMH dormitories close. Students who are not going home may want to participate in an organized activity or program. Here is an updated list of school-break program options, and tips for selecting a break program, to help you plan for the 2018–19 school year.

NMH and the Flu: Please read this important message from Sara Rourke, MD, regarding the flu and NMH.

Athletes of the Week: Congratulations to our athletes of the week, hockey standouts Eric Green '18 and Ally Watrous '19 Read more.

Upcoming Events

• 1/26 Percussion showcase
• 1/27 A cappella festival
• 1/28 NMH Singers, Select Women’s Ensemble, and Da Camera Singers concert
• 2/2–3 Family Days
• 2/2 Select groups concert
• 2/3–6 Long weekend
• 2/6 Students return 2–7:30 pm
• 2/7 Classes resume
• 2/9 Class Visit Day
• 2/9 NMH bands showcase
• 2/9-11: Closed weekend
• 2/9 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare & Co.
• 2/10 ACT test