The 1998-1999 school year is off to a remarkably smooth and productive start. This is attributable to the dedication and hard work of many: Jim Lucier and the maintenance and custodial staff, Ernie Gardiner and the grounds and transportation staff, the clerical support staff, teachers, parents, students and our administrative team. I would like to recognize all involved, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do to support the teaching and learning process at NHS.

This year promises to be productive and exciting! The community will continue to respond to the NEASC accreditation report, especially the recommendations, for growth and continued improvement. The Follow-Up Committee is responsible for coordinating the follow-up program. This committee acts in an advisory capacity to the principal establishing timelines, organizing and monitoring committees, and keeping the principal abreast of committee progress. The school is required to submit a Two-Year Progress Report in October 1999. The status of each recommendation in the evaluation report will be classified in one of five categories: Completed, In Progress, Planned for the Future, Rejected or No Action. We filed a Special Progress Report in April 1998. It was reviewed by the Commission on Public Secondary Schools, and the Commission continued Narragansett High Schoolís accreditation status.

The Narragansett High School Association and Athletic Booster Club are off to a wonderful start with each actively supporting the students and programs at NHS. If you havenít already joined, please consider doing so. The partnership between school and home is essential, and we need you to be involved in and supportive of our programs.

Lastly, many of our students participate in extra-curricular activities. Itís a wonderful experience to share in their fun as they represent NHS! Please see the attached Activities Calendar and attend an event or two. The students love to be supported by the entire community. You will enjoy the experience. See you there!

Open House will take place on Thursday, October 1st. Members of the NHS Association will be available to register parents beginning at 6:30 PM. At 6:45 PM, parents will have a brief orientation by Mr. Andrews in the auditorium. At 7:00 PM parents will attend classes and meet their childís teachers by following an abbreviated daily schedule which will be distributed to parents in homeroom. Homerooms will be posted. Administrators and guidance counselors will be available throughout the evening to talk with parents. The evening will conclude with an informal reception in the cafeteria. We hope to see all parents there!!

The mid-term for the first marking period will end on October 9th. Progress reports should arrive home on or about October 16th.

A reminder!! All medications must be dispensed from the clinic -- permission slips are available from the nurse. Dr. Hagerty, our school dentist, will be doing 9th grade dental screenings in October. If your son/daughter has seen a dentist within the last year, please send Mrs. Ryan the information in writing.

All students will have their vision checked at some point in the school year. Please contact Mrs. Ryan if you have any questions or concerns about your childís health at 792-9403.

Homecoming will begin with Spirit Week on Tuesday, October 13th. Each day will hold a different theme so donít be surprised if your student comes to school dressed in a costume or pajamas (please be sure, however, that your child is dressed appropriately for a school environment). Friday, October 16th, is red and white day, and students will be dismissed from class at approximately 11:30 for a picnic lunch and spirit rally. Students are expected to stay for the entire school day and should NOT be dismissed early for inappropriate reasons. At 6:30 PM, all residents of our community are invited to show their enthusiasm and support for our school at a pep rally/bonfire at the North Pavilion Beach which will end at 9:00 PM. All residents of our community are also invited and encouraged to attend homecoming athletic events the week of October 13th (see enclosed activity calendar).

To conclude the homecoming

week the football team will play North Smithfield at home on October 17th at 1:30 PM, and a homecoming dance will be held from 8:00-11:00 PM in the gymnasium.

Congratulations to Ann Marie Patterson and Erica LeBrun, our new yearbook advisors. We encourage you to support the Narragansett High School Class of 1999 by becoming an official patron and friend of the "Maritimes" yearbook for a nominal $5 donation. Please submit all orders by December 11, 1998.

Patron Greeting: $5 1/4 Page: $75

Business Card: $35 1/2 Page: $125

Full Page: $250

Thank you for your support. Please make checks payable to Narragansett High School Yearbook, c/o Ann Marie Patterson, Narragansett High School, 245 South Pier Road, Narragansett, RI 02882.

The Multi-Media Center continues to undergo changes. Mr. Thibeaultís class has built new bookshelves to house the fiction collection. Now they are working on the design and construction of a cart to hold the projector, a VCR, and a computer. Last spring Mr. Jack Gaines, a noted Narragansett resident, donated to the Center his collection of books about American presidents. Mr. Thibeaultís class will also be creating a bookcase for that collection. We are excited about the changes and the additions. Also last spring Mrs. Myrna Cole, a science teacher in the school, donated several science books. We are happy to have particular science areas updated. The Mission Statement has been formulated, and the faculty has accepted it. The next task will be to revisit and update the Selection Policy and to create the goals and objectives for the operation of the Center. A new Pass Policy was instituted last year for the students who want to be in the Center during a study period. Since the Center is heavily used by classes, the openings for study students are often limited. The magazine database Infotrac and the Social Issues Resource Series SIRS now come to us directly through the browser. That leaves some room in our CD tower for other databases. So changes are occurring. Come in to visit or to volunteer your services. We have many tasks that we never seem to be able to accomplish because of the activity throughout the day.

The State of Rhode Island requires anyone under the age of 18 to complete a 33 hour classroom driver education program to obtain a license. Narragansett High School has a certified driver education teacher who offers a course that is approved and supervised by the State Department of Education. The course is taught after the school day as well as in the summer. Students must be at least 15 years 10 months of age to take the course, but cannot obtain a learnerís permit or driverís license until age 16.

Registration will take place on Monday, October 19th, at 2:00 PM in room 167. A $45 check payable to the General Treasurer/State of R.I. is required at the time of registration. The course will run for five weeks three days per week from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.

The student fare is $1.00. However, if the rider goes beyond the first zone, the rider is required to pay an additional $.25. The RIPTA bus presently runs near the school as follows, however the schedule is subject to change:

NORTHBOUND: Bus #64 leaves Wakefield Mall at 4:03 and 4:58.....travels along Kingstown Road and arrives at bus stop at end of Prospect Street at 4:06 and 5:01 PM......arrives at Narragansett Library at 4:10 and 5:05......and arrives at the intersection of Boon Street and South Pier Road at 4:12 and 5:07 PM then proceeds north.

SOUTHBOUND: Bus #65 stops at Stop & Shop at 2:31 and 4:46 and then proceeds south.

Please be aware of some of the various fund-raising activities which take place during a school year:

Pier Schools

• PTO T-shirts/sweatshirts - Elementary School
• PTO Bulb Sale - Narragansett Elementary
• Wrapping Paper - Elementary School

November: Band Fund Drive - Pier School

April: Design-a-Plate - Elementary School

We welcome our new Spanish teacher Gabriela Escalante to our school. Gabriela, a native of Guatemala City, who has been living in the USA for ten years, holds a Bachelorís Degree in Secondary Education in Spanish from the University of Rhode Island. She completed her Student Teaching assignment at Feinstein High School in Providence. Gabriela will be teaching Spanish I and II.

We also welcome Lennon Schroeder who will be introducing an exploratory language course in all three languages (French, Italian, and Spanish) to 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders at the Pier Middle School.

Several activities have been planned by the members of the Foreign Language Department. Students studying Italian will have an opportunity to attend a spectacular "Folklore Performance" by a group of dancers from Catania, Sicily on Monday, October 5, 1998, at Cranston High School East.

All students enrolled in French, Italian and Spanish III and IV classes will have an opportunity to visit the United Nations and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Friday, December 4, 1998.

Students enrolled in Spanish Level II courses will have an opportunity to attend a "folklore dance" on Monday, November 9, 1998.

Mrs. Boyle has organized another trip to Italy for the spring vacation. Students will be leaving on Thursday, April 15, 1999, and will return on Saturday, April 24, 1999. If anyone would like to register for the trip, please see Mrs. Boyle.

The Foreign Language teachers are excited about starting a Foreign Language Club. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 23, 1998 at 2:00 pm in Room 166. All students are encouraged to attend.

We are trying to foster student responsibility at Narragansett High School and are asking parents to assist us by not calling the school with messages, bringing in lunches, homework, etc. except in an emergency. We are not paging students to the office ñ your son/daughter may check with the office if they have forgotton something and anticipate you bringing it in. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

November 7 October 2 October 3-14

December 5 October 30 October 31-Nov. 11

Mr. Pepin has visited senior classes to outline requirements and resources available for postgraduate plans. All Seniors received a packet of information which included a Senior calendar, a College Visitation Schedule, and a Bibliography of Career and College Guides and Videos. Students also received a copy of the Rhode Island Regional College Fair magazine. A valuable resource for all students is the EXPAN College and Career Search program, which is available in the IBM lab, the media center, and the guidance conference room for all students to use to define and refine their postgraduate plans. Students should access this program during their study periods, and may ask any of the counselors for assistance. Counselors have begun individual Senior interviews to ensure that each student has the necessary information for graduation and beyond. A student with immediate concerns may make an appointment to see his/her counselor. Parents may also schedule an appointment with a counselor.

The PSAT test is scheduled for Saturday, October 17th. There will be an evening workshop on Tuesday, October 6th, at 6:00 PM in the NHS Media Center for any sophomore or junior who is planning to take the test. Students are encouraged to attend this one hour pre-test session.

Students who are new to Narragansett High School have been invited to participate in a new student group which meets on Tuesdays. The group is facilitated by Keith Croteau, Student Assistance Counselor and Sandi OíBrien, Guidance Counselor. The purpose of the group is to help students make a smooth transition to NHS, make new acquaintances and voice concerns and questions.

The guidance conference room is the College and Career Resource Center and contains college and career guides, viewbooks, and catalogues. The EXPAN program is also available on computer. Seniors are encouraged to use this room during their study periods and to request the assistance of a counselor, if necessary.

On Sunday, October 18th, there will be a college fair at C.C.R.I.íS Knight Campus in Warwick from 1:00-5:00 PM.

The following is a list of representatives planning to visit our school in October. If you are interested please come to guidance to sign up:

10/5 11:00 am Wheaton College, MA

12:30 pm Anna Maria College, MA

10/6 11:45 am Roger Williams College, RI

10/7 9:30 am Air Force

10/8 9:30 am Nichols College, MA

10:30 am R.I. College

10/9 9:00 am Thomas College, Maine

10/14 9:15 am Providence College, RI

10/15 11:00 am City Year, RI

10/19 11:15 am Merrimack College, MA

11:45 am Alfred University, NY

10/20 9:00 am Bay Path College, MA

10/21 8:30 am Stonehill College, MA

9:15 am Univ. of New England, NH

11:00 am New Hampshire College

10/23 11:30 am Endicott College, MA

10/26 8:30 am Johnson & Wales, RI

11:30 am Suffolk University, MA

10/29 9:15 am Simmons College, MA

10:15 am Northeastern Univ., MA

11:00 am University of Miami, FL

10/30 11:45 am Regis College, MA

1:00 pm Bryant College, RI