Spring-Break Information

The semester is flying by and spring break is just one week away, beginning Friday, March 2, at the conclusion of classes. Charter buses will leave campus Saturday, March 3, at 9 am. Dormitories close that day at noon and reopen Monday, March 19, at 2 pm. In support of our faculty, who are engaged in meetings throughout the day, it is important that students do not return to campus prior to 2 pm. Classes resume Tuesday, March 20.

All students will be asked to complete a vacation form by Wednesday, Feb. 28, at midnight, indicating their departure and return times. Students are expected to return to campus between 2 and 7:30 pm on March 19. Charter buses will return students to campus Monday evening, March 19. View the charter bus schedule and fees. Student sign-ups for the charter bus are open, and the reservation deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 28, at midnight. You may also schedule your own private transportation.

Rhodes Fellows Fight Food Insecurity

The Rhodes course in Social Entrepreneurship is a yearlong class for eight to 10 juniors, known as fellows. They research societal problems and devise creative ways to fight them. Rhodes fellows strive for social innovation using tools and resources from many sources, including alumni entrepreneurs and Harvard’s Business School and Kennedy School of Government.

Our Rhodes fellows were the only high school students at the recent Harvard Social Enterprise Conference. (Read about it here.) Insights from the conference will help them develop and refine their own mock enterprises aiming to reduce food insecurity in Western Massachusetts.

Class Mulls Questions of Conscience

Activist Randy Kehler inspired military analyst Daniel Ellsberg to become one of the 20th century’s most important whistleblowers. Last week, Kehler spoke with NMH history students grappling with civil disobedience and responsibilities of citizenship. Students asked him challenging questions, including “Is there such a thing as a war you could support?” and “What do you think would happen if everyone did what you did?” Read more.

Course Planning for 2018–19

It isn’t even March, but we are already planning for the start of the 2018–19 school year. Course registration will take place April 11 during an extended-advising session. Students and advisors are currently discussing students' long-range academic and co-curricular interests and goals. Next week, students will receive course-registration materials including the 2018–19 curriculum guide and grade-specific course guidelines. Please click on the link for the class your student will be in next year (i.e., current sophomores will use the junior sheet) to read the appropriate guidelines for sophomore, junior, and senior students.

Advisors have asked students to return from spring break with a list of courses and co-curricular activities they wish to take next year. The break is a perfect time for parents to discuss this with their students.

Students have been reminded about the option of completing work over the summer. This can help a student advance in an academic discipline, pursue a passion, or sample a new topic. Students interested in earning credit or improving placement should read the summer-study document for more information. Students can participate in NMH’s Summer Session or learn about other options from the college counseling office.

Announcements

Keeping our community safe: Following the devastating violence in Parkland, FL, NMH has redoubled our efforts to care emotionally for students and to make our school the safest place it can be. We are reaching out to students through Student Life Seminars and advising sessions, and our counselors are available on request. We continue with preparation such as lockdown drills, but our most important security resource is our trusting relationships with our students. We guide students in what to do should they ever learn of potential threats to our community.

Re-enrollment for 2018–19 is now open. Enrollment forms and tuition deposits are due by March 16. You should have received an email on Feb. 1 from Head of School Peter Fayroian containing instructions for enrolling your student for next year. If you didn’t get this email, please check your SPAM filter. Other helpful hints: do not use a tablet to fill out your forms; and click the “Save and Remain on the Page” button often to save the information you have filled in on the off-chance your page closes before you finish.

Family Days survey: How did we do? Please click here to share your feedback on Winter Family Days 2018. We are always seeking to improve how we execute this important event, and would love to hear from you.

NMH Olympics update: It has been an action-packed week for our home-grown Olympics. Click here to read the latest, see pictures, and learn how NMH faculty are contributing to the fun.

Dance and music collaborate: The NMH Dance Companies present their winter concert, Reminiscence. Special guests include the NMH Jazz Quartet. Performances are Feb. 22–24 in the Rhodes Arts Center’s Chiles Theater at 7:30 pm. Reserve tickets here. Here’s a sneak preview video.

Four qualify for all-state music festival: Four NMH students were accepted into the Massachusetts All-State Music Festival. During this three-day conference in Boston, they will work with some of the country’s top conductors, and perform in historic Symphony Hall. Congratulations to Loey Bull ’19 (festival chorus), Garcia Lu ’19 and Michael Hu ’19 (festival orchestra), and Miles Kaming-Thanassi ’19 (festival jazz ensemble).

Celebrating lunar new year: Students from around the globe just celebrated the lunar new year at NMH. Learn more and see photos.

NMH travels to Asia and Australia: NMH is hosting events in Asia and Australia in March. Please contact 413-498-3600 or rsvp@nmhschool.org with questions or to attend.

• Bangkok, Thailand (March 10)
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (March 12–13)
• Singapore (March 14)
• Taipei, Taiwan (March 16)
• Hong Kong Homecoming (March 17)
• Seoul, Korea (March 23)

Lydia Keys Day: To acknowledge NMH’s long tradition of being a diverse and inclusive school, NMH has renamed Diversity Day. From this year forward, the annual celebration will be known as Lydia Keys Day to honor an early Native American student. Lydia Keys Day 2018 happens Feb. 22. Learn who Lydia Keys was. See a list of workshops.

High-school jazz festival: Five NMH students have qualified to attend the largest jazz competition of its kind in the U.S. Read news coverage of this achievement.

Faculty art show: Each winter, NMH visual arts faculty members present their own recent creative work in the gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center. Learn more and see pictures.

Athletic team accolades: Our winter athletes continue to excel. Here's the latest.

Athletes of the week: Congratulations to recent athletes of the week Cate Eggers ’19, Eric Green ’18, and Jack Loran ’19 (hockey); John Hayes ’18 (wrestling); Silke Milliman ’19 and Nate Laszewski ‘18 (basketball); and Salli Lubbe ’21 and Nguyen Nguyen ’18 (swimming).

Study abroad in 2018–19: Applications are open for the Brazil sophomore (fall 2018) and New Zealand upper class (spring 2019) interdisciplinary travel programs and for the Scots College Exchange Program (spring 2019) in New Zealand. The application deadline is March 20.

Last chance to travel to India with NMH: The community service trip to India offers NMH students the opportunity to teach children ages 6–14 at an orphanage. The group also travels to sites including the Taj Mahal and the Lodi gardens. Applications are due by March 20. This is the last time NMH will be offering this trip.

Upcoming Events

• Through 3/18 Visual arts faculty exhibition
• 2/22 Lydia Keys Day
• 2/22–2/24 NMH dance performance: Reminiscence
• 3/1 Athletic banquet
• 3/2 Winter term ends
• 3/3–3/19 Spring break
• 3/9 Registration deadline for April 14 ACT
• 3/20 Study abroad applications due
• 3/20 Classes resume