Weekly Announcements

Important Dates

Message from Our Principal

Hello All,

Below is an explanation about religious and cultural celebrations and how we handle the need for days off to honor these moments. There is also information and a video from our End the Silence club. Enjoy the weather!

• A new year is underway and we have people of many different faiths at Hanover High School. Our calendar does not align with the majority of the world's religious and cultural celebrations. We however understand it is those traditions that create a sense of belonging and bring many of us strength. With that in mind and since we are a community of many different faiths, I wanted to be explicit about our position surrounding religious observances as the school year gets under way, this would also apply to cultural observances.
• We are a public entity that is expected to uphold the laws of our country. Our first amendment states that:
  • “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…
• In order to honor the free exercise part of this clause, and to ensure that we are respecting the spirit of our Constitution in regards to religious practices, our Council passed the following motion on 5/3/23 and it was approved by our Administration on 5/15/23:
  • At Hanover High school, staff members will work to accommodate students if the observance of a major religious holiday interferes with a student's academic work. If a student is unable to attend a class, participate in a test or quiz, be present for a presentation, or complete an assignment on a specific day because of the observance of a religious holiday, the student will be allowed one week from their return to make up assignments due on the holiday or the day following. Students will notify their teachers at least 48 hours prior through school email or in person of the religious observances that conflict with their classes. We recommend and hope that staff would be given a reasonable extension for grading when occurring over holidays. 
• Hanover High School staff have been accommodating to religious observances for years and this motion wanted to make our position clear and available to the community. Hanover High School staff have been accommodating to religious observances for years and this motion wanted to make our position clear and available to the community. 
• Here is a resource that lists the religious holidays for a number of faiths: https://chaplain.yale.edu/about-us/multifaith-calendar-2024-2025
• We understand that this is not exhaustive and students need to inform teachers if there is an observance they are not aware of that impacts the student. 
• We expect that this will go smoothly as teachers accommodate requests all the time, but if you or your family have questions or concerns please reach out to your counselor for support. 

End the Silence

• For over 20 years the End the Silence Club (ETS) at HHS have participated in activities and produced content for the entire student body in an effort to reduce the stigma around mental illness.  In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month and the ongoing mission of the ETS club to reduce stigma around mental illness, the club's fall initiative this year was to create a brief video that has been included in this email.  This video will be shown to our students this Monday during Advisory Lunch. I want to extend a thank you to the End the Silence leaders, Eva Bell, Sophia Costa Reese Hamlin, Andrew Mcguire and Gavin Munson for spearheading this project.

Principal Stevenson

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School News and Information

 

Hanover High Outing Club

The Hanover High School Outing Club is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led club that plans and executes a host of outings throughout New England.  Using email to disseminate information about trips, the group has arranged outings in the past which have included picnicking, apple picking, hiking, skiing, surfing, canoeing, and snowshoeing around the Upper Valley. On the majority of the outings, the students provide their own equipment, transportation, and leadership—generally there are NO Hanover High School STAFF on the outings.

Any student with interest should email Claire Uterick or Rose Candon

 

Counseling Department Updates

This week in Advisory, all groups reflected on our updated HHS cell phone policy and its impact on our community. Check out the Lesson! 

 

Upcoming Counseling Department Dates & Events

• College Application Workshop & College Fair, Wednesday, October 2, 6 PM-8:30 PM at Lebanon High School. Attend a 60-minute college application workshop and a 90-minute college fair with the 13 attending institutions: California Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Colby College, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, The University of Chicago, The University of Maryland, The University of Alabama, University of Denver, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University. Learn More and register
• Paying for College Senior Financial Aid Night: Wednesday, October 9, 6 PM on Zoom
  • Hear from a Granite Edvance representative about essential steps to take and resources available for funding your student’s college education. 
• School Day PSAT (no school for 9th, 10th, and 12 graders): Wednesday, October 23 
  • All juniors have been signed up for the PSAT. In anticipation of this test, students should create their own CollegeBoard accounts if they do not already have one, using their personal email address. 
  •  If your junior will not be taking the test, please email Devon Voake, Counseling Department coordinator, at devonvoake@hanovernorwichschools.org. 
  • Here is an overview of the new digital PSAT and here is the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide, published by the College Board.
• Juniors: learn about this summer’s Advanced Studies Program at Saint Paul's School! Visit ASP in Concord, NH for an information session and tour on Saturday, November 16, 10:00am-12:00pm. RSVP to asp@sps.edu. Attend a Zoom information session on Monday, December 9, 6:30-7:15 pm. Register here.
• AP Exam Registration runs Monday, September 30 - Friday, November 1 

Hanover High School does not offer AP courses. Some HHS advanced level courses are AP-compatible, however, and the curriculum may include preparation for the national AP exams. As a courtesy to students who wish to demonstrate mastery of AP course content, HHS is an AP testing site. Students interested in taking AP exams are encouraged to ask their teachers whether their courses are AP-compatible. 

Each test costs $99 and must be paid for electronically by selecting the test(s) from within MealTime. Fee waivers are available for students with financial need. Partial refunds are available if the test is canceled by March 1; no refunds are available after this date. Note:  28 AP exams are fully or partially digital this year and delivered on the same Bluebook platform as the SAT and PSAT. Learn more about AP exam registration form and instructions

 

Senior Families Thank you for attending Tuesday's College Night! Here are the slides we reviewed, and here is a one-sheet guide to frequent questions about the Common App.  Here again is the comprehensive Class of 2025 Applying to College guide. Please reach out to your school counselor with any questions about your application process. Important dates and deadlines for the college application process: Seniors should finalize their schedules for senior year by October 11. To give HHS time to send the required application materials, seniors must add/move college(s) into the “Applying” column in SCOIR in advance of the application deadline. For each application deadline (left), seniors should put schools in the “Applying section by (right):      Application Deadline  Add to “Applying” in SCOIR by: November 1 October 11 November 15 October 25 December 1 November 10 December 15 November 19 January 1 December 9

Upcoming College Visits Week of September 30 

Students may sign up on SCOIR or just stop by the Counseling Office. 

 

Monday, 9/30

Tuesday, 10/1

Wednesday, 10/2

Thursday, 10/3

Friday, 10/4

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