15 minute read
HHS 11th in state in U.S. News ranking
from HI 5.4.22
In 2009, Hopkinton High School English teacher Marie Martin asked her senior students a question: What do you want to remember SCHOOLS from your last four years? NOTEBOOK Martin challenged them with a time-capsule project for them to document their years at HHS. Using a pen and paper, they wrote down anecdotes she hoped they could remember.
Now, almost 12 years later, Martin wants to share these assignments with them. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2009 was not able to gather for a reunion planned for the spring of 2020, when Martin was going to show the students what they had written.
“I think it would be beautiful for them to see this now, with how much they’ve probably grown and changed,” Martin said.
Martin, now in her 37th year of teaching, is retiring after this school year. Before she leaves, she hopes to connect her students with their individual mementos.
“You always look back at your high school years with lots of memories, maybe they will uncover some they didn’t even know they had,” Martin said.
As for this year’s seniors, Martin said her assignment should have even more meaning.
“I want to make a time capsule for this pandemic, too. I mean, how many times would you ever imagine this happening as a high schooler,” Martin said. “I think it would be an extremely nostalgic experience.”
For Martin, the 2009 students were one batch of many that she’s had over the years, and she believes these writeups are important for them to remember.
“It truly is a very formative time in a child’s life,” Martin said.
Martin has papers for the following students: Kelly Cook, Dan Muscatello, Nicholas Holden Mills, Erica Normandeau, Ryan Schaefer, Tim Viga, Jessica de St. Croix, Kathryn Roberts, Kristen Cormier, Lora Zaccaro, Jeff Doyle, Victoria Tuite, Ben Aitken, Kenny McMullen, Melinda Collins, Billy Hulme, Ryan Dobrinski, Ryan Page, John Bicknell, Cara Jordan, Courtney Onofris, P.J. Beauregard, Emily Labroche and Stephen T. Cronin.
Anyone on this list is asked to email evanya.mathur@gmail.com for information on how to retrieve their papers. — Contributed by Evanya Mathur HHS ranked 11th in state
In the 2022 U.S. News and World Report rankings, Hopkinton High School is the 11th-ranked high school in the state and 371st nationally.
Massachusetts’ top 10 consists of Boston Latin School, Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School, Sturgis Charter Public School, Lexington High School, John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Boston Latin Academy, Dover-Sherborn Regional High School, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, The Bromfield School and Weston High School.
Factors used in the rankings include college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance and graduation rate. Hopkinton had a total score of 97.92 out of 100.
The school received a score of 71.9 out of 100 for college readiness, which puts it ninth in the state and 354th nationally.
In the magazine’s ranking of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), HHS ranks 16th in the state and 157th nationally. HHS students win at HOSA competition
Hopkinton High School’s HOSAFuture Health Professionals Club had success at the State Leadership Conference on April 2.
Prachi Meher took first place in the medical math category. Hana Ruran was first in research poster. Evanya Mathur, Nandita Ramesh, Vidya Narendra and Roma Tewari captured first place in public service announcement. Ishi Khurana took second in clinical specialty. Pranamya Keshkamat was third in medical law and ethics. In the health education team event, Meher, Khurana, Lindsay Hong and Kylie Skiba took second, while Srilakshmi Venkatesen, Noor Rana and Prisha Shrivastava took third.
Music calendar raffle underway
The Hopkinton Music Association is selling tickets to the 2022 Countdown to Pops calendar raffle through May 15 to raise funds for music scholarships and music program needs at the Hopkinton Public Schools.
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HHS junior helps revive Red Cross Club
By Susan Gonsalves Contributing Writer
Last summer, Hopkinton High School junior Dhaneshwar “Dhanu” Senthilkumaran was volunteering as a youth Red Cross ambassador and community volunteer. He noticed that some of his fellow volunteers had Red Cross Clubs at their schools and were able to connect with community members through their participation.
Noting that his “passion for the medical field” prompted him to apply to be an ambassador, he began thinking, “I want to create this type of atmosphere at HHS.”
To achieve that, Senthilkumaran filled out an application to start a club. He noted that for one to be approved, a club must demonstrate a purpose and what is entailed in its running.
“I found out a number of years ago, the school did have a Red Cross Club, but as people graduated, it died out. So, I revived it last fall,” he explained.
In order to attract members, Senthilkumaran said he reached out to friends who also had an interest in the medical field and advertised the activity during the HHS club fair, meant to attract students to a variety of extracurriculars.
The 20 members now meet weekly on Mondays after school, and during the school year they organized a number of activities in support of the Red Cross including bake sales, a walk-a-thon, can sales, food drives and blood drives.
HHS English and language arts teacher Jennifer Hedges is the advisor for the club. She noted that the students, assisted by the Red Cross, held a blood drive where they were able to donate more units of blood than in previous years.
“I feel that this is important especially as the pandemic has impacted the health community so significantly,” she said. “Students and community members came to the auditorium to help by donating blood and I was so proud of the student members of the Red Cross Club for organizing such a major event. This one isn’t easy to navigate or execute, and their organization, effort and fervor made the event seamless.”
Senthilkumaran said getting other students to connect with the larger Hopkinton community and provide humanitarian aid in support of the Red Cross has been a rewarding experience, one he hopes to continue next year.
“It’s taught me about managing a group and being a leader,” he said. “I’ve also learned how to organize events and put things together.”
Hedges said it was important to reinstate the activity because it allows the student population to play a direct role in supporting their community “both near and far.” As a former Student Council advisor for five years at HHS, Hedges said she got a taste for working with the Red Cross then, as the council used to run a blood drive. “I was always proud to be a part of organizing an event that had such ripple effects in the community,” she said. “When
Music calendar raffle underway
Raffle | from page 14
Tickets are $10 each, and each ticket is eligible for prizes in up to 29 daily drawings, depending on the date of purchase.
Daily drawings began April 24 and run through May 21, with the final drawing of a Boston Symphony Orchestra gift certificate taking place at the Hopkinton High School pops concert on May 22.
Tickets can be purchased from any Hopkinton Public Schools music student in Grades 5-12. For more information, email ktbograd@gmail.com or visit hopkintonmusicasso.wixsite.com/ hopkintonmusic. Dhanu approached me last summer to be the advisor, I was thrilled to join it again and have some familiarity with the group.”
In addition to the Red Cross, Senthilkumaran was part of robotics and debate teams and the Trivia Club. He also has worked on the school newspaper.
Anyone interested in supporting or joining the club can reach him at dsenthilkumaran@hillers.org for more information.
Bouvier wins Merit AON Scholarship
Hopkinton’s Sarah Bouvier was named winner of the National Merit AON Scholarship. She is one of about 1,000 students from across the country to earn a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship. …
Hopkinton High School lost to North Quincy in the first round of GBH’s academic tournament, “High School Quiz Show.” The program aired April 2 and is available for viewing on the GBH YouTube channel. …
Hopkinton’s Victoria Kray recently was initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, which bills itself as the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at the University of Massachusetts.
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By Christie Vogt Contributing Writer
Each week is a new adventure at Kidsborough, with themes that cover everything from forensic science to Disney magic and kitchen chemistry. From June 27 to Aug. 26, Kidsborough’s summer program in Hopkinton offers kindergarteners through eighth-graders ample opportunities to actively explore the unknown.
“Trying something new, that’s what I want kids to take away from this summer program,” says Cori Lucius, Kidsborough’s Hopkinton site coordinator. “I want kids to be able to discover things that they’re excited about, get their hands dirty and learn different things that aren’t so cookiecutter.”
Throughout the 10 themed weeks — with titles like Everything X-Files and Elementary, My Dear Watson —
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the summer program has four field trips KINDERGARTEN – 5TH GRADE PROGRAMS planned. During “America’s Pastimes” JUNE 27 – AUGUST 26 week, the kids attend a Worcester Red Sox game and get to sit behind third plate. Other field trips include a visit Summer 2022 Weekly Themesto the Old Sturbridge Village during Primitive Pioneers week, a trip to the Blow Your Mind! EcoTarium during Periodic Power Primitive Pioneers week, and finally, all the Kidsborough sites will travel to the Fruit Street fields Elementary, My Dear Watson! for the Kidsborough Olympics. In addition to themed activity time, Everything X-Files Lucius says the program incorporates The Magic Schoolbus a lot of outdoor activities, including walks to EMC Park, outdoor scavenger Alter Ego! hunts and gardening. They also plan America’s Pastimes for quieter activities like reading alone or listening to stories read by staff or Periodic Power! older students.Tinseltown The way staff connects with kids is what sets Kidsborough apart, Lucius Dose of Disney!
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An advertiser feature • Small, personal
program • Teacher/Child ratio of 1:8 • Heat/Rain proof: 8,000 sqft of airconditioned space • Attend Full or Part-time $75/day or $350/week
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By Christie Vogt Contributing Writer
The Parks & Recreation Department is well known for its summer sports clinics, but if you’re more into science than basketball or would love to make films rather than run laps, there’s a place for you, too. “We want to make sure every resident understands that there’s something for them,” says Director Jay Guelfi. “We’re trying our hardest to offer a program that suits every resident.”
One of the department’s newest offerings is a weeklong filmmaking program led by Filmmakers Collaborative. Parks & Rec also has added programs like Lego Adventures and Expert Architects. “When you think of Parks & Rec, you think of athletic activities,” says coordinator Colleen Allen, “but the pandemic pushed us to get really creative. We’re finding that there’s this whole group of people who don’t necessarily love playing sports, but they love these other things we’re offering.”
In addition to its arts and STEM classes, the department offers Little Hillers and Junior Hillers Playground Groups that run from July 5 to Aug. 12. Activities include arts and crafts, games, sports and trips to Sandy Beach and Water Wizz for the older kids.
Among the many sports programs the department offers, its basketball and track clinics, run by varsity coaches, are particularly popular. “It’s not an accident that our high school track and field and basketball programs are really successful,” Guelfi says, “because kids start playing when they’re 6 years old in a really fun environment like this.” Parks & Rec programs often are more affordable than offerings in the private sector, Guelfi adds, and need-based scholarships are available to ensure accessibility. At the end of the summer, Guelfi says, if kids had fun and made friends, then the department has achieved its goal. As for the adults of Hopkinton, Parks & Rec hasn’t forgotBUSINESS PROFILE ten about their recreation needs either. The free Concerts on An advertiser feature the Common series will return in July with seven bands performing through August. The department also will host movie nights and a farmer’s market, in addition to archery classes, adult softball leagues and pickup basketball and volleyball. For more information, visit hopkintonrec.org or call 508-497-9750. Business Profiles are advertising features designed to provide information and background about Hopkinton Independent advertisers.
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Kidsborough | from page 16 says. “They are so caring and really take time to know students,” she says. “Any program can pull plans from the internet, but for us, a big reason families stay is because of the relationships we have with them and their kids.”
Unlike as with bigger companies, Lucius says Kidsborough’s small size is a benefit because it contributes to a “family feel” and allows for staff to be nimble as they determine what works best for parents and students.
During the school year, Kidsborough offers before-school and afterschool programming. In addition to its Hopkinton site at 34 Hayden Rowe Street, Kidsborough has locations in Canton, Medfield and Winchester.
To learn more, visit kidsborough. com, call 508-435-5430 or email hopkintonsummer@kidsborough.com.
Business Profiles are advertising features designed to provide information and background about Hopkinton Independent advertisers.
Movies Common on the
Thursdays this summer, starting at dusk
July 14th Encanto July 21st Spider-Man: No Way Home July 28th Raya and The Last Dragon August 4th The Mitchells vs The Machines August 11th Star Wars: A New Hope
